4.
CONFIDENTIAL
Labour
MP s for
Previously, in September 1979, three visited Hong Kong and one, Mr Robert Parry, called direct election of all Urban Councillors and at least six members of the Legislative Council. He referred to the projected visit to London by Mrs Elliott and others later in the year.
5.
There were a number of Parliamentary questions tabled by Mr Parry on his return, relating to reform of the Urban Council and local pressure for the abolition of appointed members (FCO telegram no 878 of 26 October 1979).
In February 1980, Mr Parry asked further questions about elections to Urbco and Legco, and referred to the visit by the Urban Council delegation. In June 1980, the publication of the Green Paper on district administration in Hong Kong led to a question in the House of Lords by Lord Brockway (Hansard 24 June 1980).
6.
I enclose copies of the relevant telegrams and Hansards. This is all water under the bridge inasmuch as Wu did not use the anticipated Chinese counterargument with the Secretary of State. Nevertheless it is useful for you and us to know that this was the actual sequence of events in 1979 and 1980. It seems fair to use these events as an illustration of the argument that
that pressure for constitutional development did indeed begin in Hong Kong and Parliment well before 1982.
But it
is noteworthy that these representations, at least, focussed on the Urban Council and to a lesser extent on Legco, rather than on administration at the district level.
J
Y
сил на
CO Hum
Hong Kong Department
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