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In accordance, therefore, with these principles, the Secretary of State proposes to increase the number of unofficial seats on this Council by five and the official seats by three, and he has accepted my recommendation that, in the latter category, I should appoint to Council the officers serving as Director of Commerce and Industry, District Commissioner, New Territories, and Commissioner of Labour. On the floor of the Council there will thus be 13 unofficial and 12 official seats, but the Governor's residual powers under the present constitutional system will be maintained by virtue of his original and casting vote,
Arising out of the same discussions to which I have already referred I have also indicated to the Secretary of State that it is desirable, on similar grounds, to expand the Urban Council, and the Secretary of State has intimated his approval of a proposal to increase the unofficial membership of Urban Council by four, namely two elected and two nominated members.
I need hardly add that my successor, Sir David Trench, has been consulted about these proposals and has expressed his complete agreement with the recommendations.'
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