TNAG-2736-FCO40-3944-Hong-Kong-role-of-the-Legislative-Council-(LEGCO)-1994 — Page 11

G.F JIA

SECRET #2

高 度 密

agreed that

publication of the White Paper could be timed

to pave the way for the introduction of the Second Stage

If the legislative process is to begin in early Paper should logically be published some

Bill.

March, the White

time in February.

The constraint here is that the Chinese

13 (Monday) February, and

New Year falls on 10 (Thursday)

23rd.

on

Paper

statement

-

there are only two LegCo sittings in February, viz. 2nd and One possibility therefore is to publish the White Thursday, 17 February (when Governor will give a in LegCo) with a view to having a LegCo motion

debate on it on 23 February. This will give us about

ten days to assess the mood of LegCo and the community

before making definitive recommendation

EXCO on

The timing is tight but it avoids the risk of wrong-footing ourselves by having a prolonged (and possibly

unfocussed) public debate.

1 March.

a

to

As a contingency, we could defer introduction of

LegCo to Wednesday, 16 March. However, as be а LegCo sitting on that day, we would the agreement of the President of LegCo in

the bill into

there will not

need to obtain

this respect.

Summary

The overall time-table would therefore be as

8

follows:

18 Feb.

Publication of White Paper

23 Feb. (or 2 March)

Legco debate Paper

on White

1 March (or 8 March)

4 March (or 11 March)

9 March(or 16 March)

Consult EXCO package to go for

Gazetting of Bill

1st LegCo

on which

and 2nd reading in

SECRET #2