TNAG-1719-FCO40-2399-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1988 — Page 54

8'd

F

t

7

*

Sir, arguments on what interpretation and what

weight

should be given to any particular form of expression of opinion can go on endlessly. I wish to emphasize that the Government has taken into account all views and not just any particular survey or any particular

form of submission. Indeed it seems to me that it is our

critics who have tried to rely on one particular set of

surveys to prove their point and have chosen to ignore the overall implications of the views recorded in the Survey

Office report, which were clearly that the community is

divided on the question of timing of direct elections to

Legislative Council.

I said when the Survey Office report was

published that the people of Hong Kong could judge for

themselves how closely the decisions in the White Paper

reflected the wishes of the community as a whole. I

believe that the community as C whole has made that

Judgement, and that it is a positive one.

יו.

The White Paper provides for

provides for two additional

functional constituency seats in the Legislative Council

in 1988. The Survey Office report shows that requests had

been made

made by, or on behalf of, some 50 bodies or

organisations

constituencies

for

ог

recognition as ne

inclusion

new

within

functional

existing

1

1

1

XH SIO OT: 21 88. 31 YUN