TNAG-2012-FCO40-2864-Constitutional-development-in-Hong-Kong-1991-1990 — Page 34

ས་-མ

SECRET FM FCO

TO DESKBY 06003OZ HONG KONG

TELNO 498

OF 05190OZ MARCH 90

SECRET

INFO PRIORITY PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

TOP CO Q_DIST

Hie Boiz

RECEIVED IN

DESK

DEX

YOUR TELNO 755: CONSTITUTIONAL CHANGE: 1991 LEGCO

(13

026524

MDHOAN 4359

0 9 MAR 1990

Y

1. WE HAVE CONSULTED MINISTERS ABOUT THE TENTATIVE CONCLUSIONS SET OUT IN YOUR TELEGRAM. THEIR PRELIMINARY VIEWS ARE RECORDED BELOW, ALTHOUGH THEY WILL WANT TO GO OVER THE GROUND THOROUGHLY WITH YOU DURING YOUR FORTHCOMING VISIT BEFORE REACHING ANY FIRM CONCLUSIONS.

2.

6

MINISTERS ARE IN BROAD AGREEMENT WITH EXCO ABOUT THE WAY FORWARD. THEY HAVE NOTED EXCO'S PREFERENCE FOR A 59 OR 60 SEAT LEGCO. FOR THEIR PART, MINISTERS WOULD, HOWEVER, BE HAPPY TO DEFEND A POSITION WHERE THE OVERALL SIZE OF LEGCO REMAINED AT 56. THEY SEE NO INEVITABILITY ABOUT INCREASING BEYOND THIS NUMBER, AND SEE SIGNIFICANT PRESENTATIONAL AND PRACTICAL ADVANTAGES IN STICKING AT 56.THIS.

·

THEY WOULD THEREFORE BE INTERESTED TO KNOW EXCO'S VIEWS ON THE POSSIBILITY OF AN ARRANGEMENT WHEREBY THERE WERE 18 DIRECTLY ELECTED MEMBERS, 20 MEMBERS RETURNED THROUGH FUNCTIONAL CONSTITUENCIES AND 18 APPOINTED MEMBERS (INCLUDING THE THREE EX OFFICIO MEMBERS AND THE DEPUTY PRESIDENT).

4.

MINISTERS SEE THE ATTRACTIONS OF GOING FOR NINE TWO MEMBER CONSTITUENCIES.

1991

5. MINISTERS AGREE THAT THERE WILL BE A NEED TO INFORM THE CHINESE IN ADVANCE ONCE FIRM CONCLUSIONS HAVE BEEN REACHED. THIS COULD BEST BE DONE THROUGH THE PA'S OFFICE WITH NCNA, ABOUT ONE WEEK IN ADVANCE OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT. BUT MINISTERS THINK THAT IT WOULD ALSO BE USEFUL FOR UKREP JLG TO GIVE FULL DETAILS TO OPPOSITE MEMBERS, MAKING IT CLEAR THAT THIS WAS BEING DONE AS A COURTESY.

HURD

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