TNAG-1718-FCO40-2398-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1988 — Page 80

crüh

STATEMENT ON THE WHITE PAPER ON HONG KONG.

TO BE MADE BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS ON WEDNESDAY 10 FEBRUARY 1988.

With permission, Mr Speaker, I should like to make a

statement about the White Paper on Hong Kong.

A Hong Kong Government White Paper, "The Development of

Representative Government:

Hong Kong earlier today.

The Way forward" was published in

Copies of the White Paper have been

placed in the library of the House.

The publication of the White Paper marks the end of a

wide-ranging review of developments in representative government.

A Green Paper, published in May 1987, sought the views of the

Hong Kong community. It set out a range of options for possible

change; none was ruled out in advance. The Green Paper elicited

a widespread public response. We were also able to benefit from

a wide range of views expressed in this House during the debate

on 20 January.

The White Paper discusses the full range of issues raised in

the review. The main decisions which it announces are as

follows:

(a) ten directly elected members will be introduced into the

Legislative Council in 1991;

(b) in 1988 the number of appointed members in the Council will

be reduced from 22 to 20, and the number of members elected by

functional constituencies will increase from 12 to 14. In 1991