TNAG-2459-FCO40-3580-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-administrati-1992 — Page 139

Miss Brooks

Legal Advisers

SECRET

Мив

HUF 017/40

Reference......

File

AMENDMENTS TO THE LETTERS PATENT (LPS) AND ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS (RIS) REQUIRED IMMEDIATELY

1.

(B

Your minute of 23 September set out the main amendments that you envisaged would be required to the LPs and RIs to give effect to the Governor's "decisions". I thought it might be helpful if I listed out the changes that I understood were required. There are substantially more of these that I had imagined. We could fax these off to Hong Kong on 7

October to ensure that Hong Kong are on board. Indeed it might be wise to send them to GH now.

LETTERS PATENT

LP VI (1) delete sub para (a)

ROYAL INSTRUCTIONS

RI II

delete the words "the Officer for the time being in command of Our regular forces within the Colony (hereinafter called the Commander British Forces)"

RI VIII (3) delete sub para (a)

renumber sub para (b) to be "(a)" and delete the word " remaining" which serves no purpose

(Incidentally, is the Governor a Member of the Executive Council? He is not mentioned under RI II but RI IX appears to suggest that he is considered to be a Member- "four

Members present besides the Governor".)

RI XIX (2)

RI XIX (3)

RI XXI (1)

delete the word "Governor " and substitute the word "President"

delete the word "Governor" and substitute the word "president"

delete the whole subpara and substitute it with something like " There shall be a President of the Legislative Council who when present shall preside at a meeting of the

lps.ris.HKG.ADMIN.mvs

CODE 18-77

SECRET

1

19