TNAG-2737-FCO40-3950-Hong-Kong-Letters-Patent-1993-1993 — Page 25

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DESK OFFICER

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REGISTRY

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Action Talien

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Mr Ricketts

Ricke

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سالہا

35

FROM: N C G Whitney

Hong Kong Department

DATE: 25 March 1993

cc: Sir J Coles

Mr Hum

Miss Brooks,

Legal Advisers

Thanks

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THE DRAFT HONG KONG LETTERS PATENT 1993 AND THE DRAFT HONG

KONG ADDITIONAL INSTRUCTIONS 1993

1. I understand that Sir J Coles asked whether the proposed

amendments to the Letters Patent and to the Royal Instructions

will become public after the Privy Council meeting on

31 March. The position is as follows:

-

Meetings of the Privy Council are technically confidential

and the amendments, if made, will not be made public by the

Privy Council Office. It is, however, not unknown for Privy

Councillors to breach this rule and there is therefore no

guarantee that the amendments will remain confidential.

- The amendments will come into operation and become public

upon publication in the Hong Kong Government Gazette. There is no need for them to be brought into operation immediately after they have been through the Privy Council: the timing is

in our and the Governor's hands, and can be adjusted to fit

the timing of the introduction of the Bill into LegCo.

2.

It is worth noting that the amendments provide the

constitutional basis for the implementation of the proposals

nig.mint.ADM

SLM

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