TNAG-2991-FCO40-3566-Future-of-Hong-Kong-constitutional-development-1992 — Page 179

CONFIDENTIAL

!

11 February 1992

BY FAX

Mrs Lessie Wei

Chief Secretary's Office Administration Department Government Secretariat Lower Albert Road HONG KONG

Qu

Mes's wilkom?

Gen3 012/2

QW

2612

10/2

Dear Jessie,

Дост

TRANSFER OF AUTHORITY FROM EXCO

1.

Thank you for your letter of 10 February enquiring on progress on this issue. We intend to put the proposal to Ministers this week. I hope this timing is satisfactory from your point of view.

2. I wonder whether you could further clarify a question on different ways for establishing these boards. In paragraph 7 of your telegram 143 of 17 January, you said that "as constituted under our proposal" the changes could not be presented to the Chinese as sub committees of ExCo. This of course begs the question as to whether it was necessary to constitute the proposal in the way that you have. It would be helpful to know whether it would have been possible to set up these boards as sub committees of ExCo. If that would have been possible. it would be helpful to have your arguments as to why you rejected this in favour of your current proposal.

Yar aye,

Mill.

DMV Stone 4

Hong Kong Department FCO

PIGAEB

CONFIDENTIAL