TNAG-1844-FCO40-2619-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 45

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

EE MAR 89 18:00

FFTH CO1 TECH PRDIN

TO FCO NEWS

PAGE.002

TRANSCRIPT C BONG KONG SELECT COMMITTEE MEETING

22 NAK 89

CHAIRMAN

(COX):

We have bad a

I wonder whether you can help us with that? Kemorandum from the Hong Kong Government which describes the formal constitutional powers of the Governor and of course they

are typically British, that they are there in practice or in

theory but not there in practice (sic).

This of course is typically the way in which the British have conducted themselves but on transfer of sovereignty this can become a very dangerous set of assumptions. How can you describe

therefore how the powers of the Chief Executive, that is the

Governor as we call him, as laid dowe in the Basic Law,

from those of the Governor under our sovereignty?

differ

FORRIGE SECRETARY:

Well there are differences being prescribed. I am just

trying to find the relevant Article, if someone can prompt me

towards it, which are designed to produce changes between the

powers of the Governor now and the Chief Executive in the draft

Basic Law. They mainly relate to his relationship with the

Legislature in a number of detailed ways. The Governor presides

over the Legislature, the Chief Executive will not do that.

On the other hand, the Chief Executive will have power over

the introduction of Bills but he will have fewer powers over the

passage of Bills through the Legislature.

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23 MPP

ES

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