CONFIDENTIAL
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MDHIAN 5287
HAVE CHANGED AND DEVELOPED OVER THE YEARS. THE PROCESS HAS BEEN EVOLUTIONARY, NOT REVOLUTIONARY. WE HAVE TAKEN CARE AT
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EACH STEP TO REFLECT AND CONSULT BEFORE DECIDING ON THE NEXT ONE. AS PART OF THIS PROCESS, WE HAVE JUST COMPLETED ANOTHER ROUND OF PUBLIC CONSULTATION ON PROPOSALS FOR DEVELOPMENT IN THE VARIOUS ELEMENTS OF OUR SYSTEM OF REFPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT. THIS HAS PRODUCED A GREAT DEAL OF DISCUSSION WITHIN OUR COMMUNITY. THIS COUNCIL HELD A DEBATE ON THE GREEN PAPER PROPOSALS IN JULY IN WHICH ALL MEMBERS PRESENT IN HONG KONG, APART FROM OFFICIALS, SPOKE. A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT POINTS
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VIEW WERE PUT FORWARD AND WERE CAREFULLY AND VIGOROUSLY ARGUED.
152.
THE SURVEY OFFICE WILL PRODUCE THEIR REPORT AT THE END OF THIS MONTH. DURING THE FOUR MONTH CONSULTATION PERIOD IT RECEIVED A TOTAL OF OVER SQUARE BRACKET BEGIN 130,000 SQUARE BRACKETS ENDS SUBMISSIONS THIS IS FAR MORE THAN IN ANY PREVIOUS PUBLIC CONSULTAT- I ON EXERCISE. IT IS EVIDENCE OF THE INTEREST WHICH THE ISSUES IN THE GREEN PAPER, AND IN PARTICULAR THAT OF THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUC- ING SOME ELEMENT OF DIRECT ELECTIONS TO THIS COUNCIL, HAVE AROUSED AMONGST MANY IN OUR COMMUNITY. THE SURVEY OFFICE HAS ALSO COMMISSIONED THEIR OWN PUBLIC OPINION POLL IN ORDER TO OBTAIN AN OBJECTIVE ASSESSMENT OF THE VIEWS OF THE WHOLE COMMUNITY ON THE OPTIONS LISTED IN THE GREEN PAPER. I WILL NOT ATTEMPT NOW TO PRE- JUDGE THE CONTENTS OF THE SURVEY OFFICE REPORT IT WILL BE LAID BEF- ORE THIS COUNCIL EARLY NEXT MONTH AND MEMBERS WILL SUBSEQUENTLY HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY TO DEBATE ITS CONTENTS.
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153. IMPORTANT DECISIONS WILL NEED TO BE TAKEN OVER THE NEXT THREE OR FOUR MONTHS ON WHAT CHANGES, IF ANY, SHOULD BE INTRODUCED IN 1988. IN REACHING THOSE DECISIONS, THE GOVERNMENT ARE COMMITTED TO TAKEING FULL ACCOUNT OF ALL THE VIEWS RECORDED IN THE SURVEY OFFICE REPORT. WE WILL, NATURALLY, ALSO GIVE FULL REGARD TO OTHER RELEVANT FACTORS, INCLUDING THE NEED TO ENSURE THAT ANDY CHANGES WHICH MIGHT BE INTRODUCED DO NOT DISRUPT THE STEADY PROGRESS WE HAVE BEEN MAKING, NOR THE STABILITY WHICH IS SO IMPORTANT TO OUR COMMUNITY.
REDRESS OF GRIEVANCES
160. THERE ARE MANY DECISIONS TAKEN WITHIN GOVERNMENT WHICH DIRECTLY AFFECT INDIVIDUALS OR, INDEED, ENTIRE SECTORS OF THE COMMUNITY. HOWEVER GOOD AND DEDICATED THE CIVIL SERVICE AND OURS IS BOTH GOOD AND DEDICATED THERE ARE BOUND TO BE OCCASIONS WHEN MALADMINISTRAT- ION OCCURS, OR IS ALLEGED TO HAVE OCCURRED IT IS IMPORTANT, THERFORE, THAT SUITABLE MEANS SHOULD EXIST TO INVESTIGATE COMPLAINTS ALLEGING MALADMINISTRATION BY GOVERNMENT AUTHORITIES AND TO ENSURE
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