TNAG-1733-FCO40-2446-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 45

channels

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for conveying

views on the

· draft Basic Law

Reply to Q. Z

Reply by the Honourable the Chief Secretary

Sir David Ford/, KBE, LVO, JP

to a question raised by the Hop Szeto Wgh in the Legislative Council on 22 June 1988

7. MR. SZETO asked (in Cantonese):

Question At a recent meeting with Members of #the

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Executive and Legislative Councils, the Rt. Hon. Sir Geoffrey Howe, Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, undertook to pass on the views of the Legislative Council as well as those of the Municipal Councils and District Boards on the draft Basic Law (for solicitation of opinions) to the Chinese Government through diplomatic channels. Will Government inform this Council how it would collect the views of the two Municipal Councils and the District Boards, and to which government department these Councils and Boards should submit their views?

CHIEF SECRETARY:

Sir,

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The government is very prepared to arrange for the views of the Municipal Councils and District Boards on the draft Basic Law to be passed on to the Chinese Authorities through diplomatic channels. However, it is le for the Councils and Boards concerned to decide whether

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they do wish to make use of this procedure to convey whatever views they may have on the draft Basic Law. If they do, the request should be addressed to the Secretary for Municipal Services in respect of the two Municipal Councils and the Secretary for District Administration in

respect of District Boards.

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