TNAG-1439-FCO40-1923-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 189

OUT TELEGRAM

Classification

Caveat

Precedence

CONFIDENTIAL

DB2ALE

PRIORITY

ZCZC

ZCZC

TC

1 2

CONFIDENTIAL

CAVEAT

FM FCO

TO PRIORITY HONG KONG

TELNO

TO

TELNO

E

OF

OF 19123OZ MARCH 86

AND TO

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

HKK DILL! RECEIVED IN REGIJA:

2 5 MAR 1986

INDEX

PA

Am Taken

AB.257

16

กา

YOUR TELNOS 701 AND 646 AND PEKING TELNO 342:

AMENDMENTS TO THE LETTERS PATENT ON COMPOSITION OF LEGISLATIVE

COUNCIL AND LAND

36

Ministers have been consulted on the proposal in para 2

of TUR, and see no objection to such a scheme in principle.

Legal Advisers also see no constitutional difficulty in what is

allow for proposed, but suggest that it might be as well

well to an

com@galom to increase of more than two possibly four officials. A formula

13

14

15

1.

16

17

18:

19

20

21

22

23

24

in the Letters Patent of "not more than eleven persons" would not

upset the balance of the Legislature, and we see merit in

allowing some room for future expansion; it would not be

necessary to fill all form vacancies at once.

2 =

four

We share your and Peking's assessments of the likely

Chinese reaction. However, we would wish to explain the reasons

for change in advance of any public announcement in Hong Kong.

We understand that you will now consult with Unofficials in more

detail on what is proposed. Grateful if you would inform us of

the outcome of your discussions, to enable us to approach the

Fite number

TIONAL

Catchword.

Chinese

Dept

Drafted by (Block capita!s)

Telephone

HKD

C E LEEK S

233 4439

Date/time

Authorised for Initials

despatch by:

For COD use only

Comcer retercice

Telegram number

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