TNAG-2736-FCO40-3944-Hong-Kong-role-of-the-Legislative-Council-(LEGCO)-1994 — Page 48

1 December 1993

SECRET

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN

CLOSED UNDER

FOI EXEMPTION NO... 27 (1)

27(1)

p.n. Leglo

Foreign & Commonwealth

Office

London SWIA 2AH

Telephone: 071-

(119

BY FAX

икв

MLB 012/30

Edward Llewellyn Esq

RE

Y

Government House

HONG KONG

Den Edward

GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT TO LEGCO:-2 DECEMBER.

118

Many thanks for sending us with your letter of 1 December the latest draft of the Governor's statement. I have circulated this to Ministers' offices here for information.

1.

We only had one substantive comment, and a few further drafting suggestions for your consideration.

2.

The substantive comment relates to the 2nd full paragraph on page 5.

I see from a recent telegram that this was a point seized on by ExCo. But we have reservations about it.

3

state.PET.JRB

We therefore believe

that the paragraph is better left out.

4.

As for minor drafting suggestions, we had the following to be looked at if you are doing final polishing:

Page 5, 3rd full paragraph: worth saying "nor controversial in this Council or the Community"?;

Page 7, first full paragraph: Chinese side in the 3rd line. In the 4th line "separate the arrangements for the District Organisation elections from those for LegCo";

Page 7, 3rd full paragraph: the reference to differences existing sounds rather static, as if they can never be overcome. Better to say "when differences remain between the two sides"?;

Page 8, line 2: we wonder whether "maturity" strikes the right note. Could we not say "vision and good sense"?;

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