TNAG-2493-FCO40-3625-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-Chinese-reac-1992 — Page 23

OR PRU USE ONLY

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION

HOUSE OF COMMONS: FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

HEAD OF

HKD

Please submit:

a draft answer and background

to Parliamentary Relations Unit before

TE TABLED:

16/11/92

HITE O.P. DATE

FOR

18/11/92

NON PRIORITY

CRIAL NO:

1173

(35)

pa pis

NOON

19/11/92

WRITTEN ANSWER ON

20/11/92

QUESTION

To ask thatte! HAZEL GROVE] [C]

Secretary"

what assesment has been made of the consisitency with the basic law of the proposals for democracy in Hong Kong and if he will make a statement.

O PS/

1inister)

FOR ANSWER BY

(Minister)

or approval by

OON

PQs

Reply

ANSWER

We and the Governor took full account of the provisions of the Joint Declaration and the Basic Law in developing the proposals he announced on 7 October. We have pressed the Chinese side to change the Basic Law to allow for an increase in the number of directly-elected seats in the Legislative Council for 1995. In view of their position that this is not possible, the Governor has set out in parallel an alternative approach. That is the approach on which we are concentrating at present. We consider that the Governor's proposals are within the terms of the Basic Law.

Copy to:

Private Secretary

PS/

(Minister)

Parliamentary Clerk

HKC 012/4

Authorised

(Head of Dept)