TNAG-1597-FCO40-2182-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1987 — Page 46

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the Legislative Council

continues to benefit from the

contribution of able persons who might not, for various

reasons, be able or willing

or willing to stand for election; but

who, nevertheless, represent a wide range of experience

and understanding of sectors important to the well-being

of the Hong Kong community.

13.

The present system of appointing members to the

Legislative Council cannot continue beyond 1997 because

of the need to constitute the legislature by elections.

This provision raises the same questions for the longer

term future of Appointed Members as for the

Members. In the meantime the options for 1988 are

Official

:

(i)

to retain roughly the same number of Appointed

Members as at present;

(ii)

to make a further modest reduction in 1988.

14.

Unless it is concluded that there should be no

major change to

to the number of Elected Members in 1988,

option (i) would probably imply the need for a further

expansion in the overall size of the Legislative

Council. Option (ii) would be consistent with the

gradual "step-by-step" approach which has characterised

the development of representative government so far.

It

would

allow for some

adjustment to the proportion of

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