355
Hong Kong (White Paper)
3.31 pm
Hong Kong (White Paper)
10 FEBRUARY 1988
The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (Sir Geoffrey Howe): 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: The Way Forward" was published in Hong Kong earlier today 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 the 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 con- stituencies will increase from 12 to 14. In 1991, the present system of election by members of District Boards will be abolished; but the urban and regional councils will each continue to elect one member to the council;
(c) links between the urban district boards and the
urban council will be strengthened;
(d) the Governor will continue to be the President of the
Legislative Council for the immediate future. We are committed to the steady development of representative government in Hong Kong. We believe that the decisions set out in the White Paper mark an important step in that direction and that they represent a balanced and reasonable response to the views expressed by the people of Hong Kong and their representatives.
Mr. Gerald Kaufman (Manchester, Gorton): Since the Secretary of State a week ago poured cold water on our request for a statement, we are glad that our renewed request for a statement has met with a better response today.
This is a very timid White Paper. It has been long anticipated, with considerable expectation and hope, and now that it is available it will come to many as a considerable let-down. For the most part, it does little more than tinker with the status quo.
The proposals for direct elections to the Legislative Council are distinctly inadequate. It is not simply that those elections are not to take place until 1991, rather than 1988, as many in Hong Kong campaigned for. Although I advocated 1988, I can understand, if not agree with, the Government's decision to be cautious in the light of the divisions of opinion in Hong Kong about timing. It is even more regrettable that, when direct elections are introduced, they will apply to only 18 per cent. of the Legislative Council-10 Members-rather than 25 per tent., the figure that many of us expected this year.
I cannot understand why the whole electorate of Hong Kong, whose potential number is 3,300,000, is to be given
Hong Kong (White Paper)
356
only 10 Members to elect when, under the new arrangement, accountants in Hong Kong-who cannot be especially numerous- are to have a Member of the Legislative Council all to themselves.
Mr. James Lamond (Oldham, Central and Royton): There are a lot of accountants there.
Mr. Kaufman: But not 330,000.
Even at this late stage, I hope that the Government will reconsider the number of directly elected Members of the Legislative Council, even if the date of the election is immutable. The Government should consider reallocating the places of the two new functional Members to the directly elected section and increasing that number to a minimum of 12. In the event of a change of Government n this country before 1991, we would discuss the feasibility and desirability of increasing the number of elected Members of the Legislative Council with the Government of the People's Republic of China.
Hong Kong can and must afford lively controversy, and no doubt there will be lively controversy there over the contents of the White Paper. However, having registered our criticism of the White Paper's contents, it is right that I should say to the people of Hong Kong that, whatever disappointment there may be, the colony is at a turning point in its history and it cannot afford deep and lasting divisions. It is essential that everyone in Hong Kong unites to ensure that the new arrangements work and are successful. I am confident that that is what they will do.
Sir Geoffrey Howe: I am grateful to the right hon. Gentleman for his modest, but appropriate, thanks for our willingness to offer the statement this afternoon. I am also grateful to him for his expression of support for the need for steadiness and unity among the people of Hong Kong. They have always manifested that, to their great credit and to the greater success of the territory.
I do not accept the right hon. Gentleman's proposition that this represents a timid decision. It is an appropriate decision in response to the very careful and full consideration given to the matter in Hong Kong. Our key objective throughout has been to design a structure that will not be temporary or fallible, but one that will endure beyond 1997. I want to make it absolutely clear that the White Paper is entirely in line with the commitments given by the Government when the matter was last discussed. No commitment was made to introduce direct elections in 1988. It is nonsense to say--as some people said earlier today that the White Paper means the postponement of direct election plans. The commitment in 1984 was to review in 1987. We have done that.
I note what the right hon. Gentleman has said about the number of directly elected Members. However, 14 elected Members from the functional constituencies will exist alongside the 10 directly elected Members. That is close to 50 per cent. of all the Members of the Legislative Council. We believe that they will represent a proper blend of continuity and change when the time comes. I am also grateful for the right hon. Gentleman's encouragement to the people of Hong Kong, after their mature reflection that has brought us this far, to continue to sustain the constitution in the way in which we would all wish.
Sir Peter Blaker (Blackpool, South): Is my right hon. and learned Friend aware that the decision to introduce an element of direct elections to the Legislative Council in
190
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.