CO_1030_1459_HONG_KONG_CONSTITUTIONAL_DEVELOPMENT_1963_1965 — Page 322

7.11.63.

Date....

DRAFT LETTER

SIR ROBERT BLACK, GCMG

OBE.,

GOVERNMENT HOUSE,

VICTORIA,

|:

HONG KONG.

FURTHER ACTION

R

Page 322

(Q2411) 57024/8314 2MP 1/62 AT&S. 768

For signature by Sir John Martin

CONFIDENTIAL

I have just been looking at some interesting

press reports of remarks attributed to Dennis

Healey during his visit to Hong Kong in September

and in particular what he said about there being

"scope for movement" in the administration of the

Colony. He seems to have been quite clear about

the danger of a move in the direction of

representative Government, but suggested that the

advice the Government now gets through the

Legislative Council comes from a small number of

people representing a very narrow section of the

community and said "I would hope to extend the

range of groups from which the Government takes

advice".

Healey no doubt heard while in Hong Kong

something of the ideas on this subject which seem

to be in the air. For example, as Ian Wallace

reported to you at the time, when R.C. Lee saw the

Secretary of State in July he mentioned a

suggestion that various professional groups

(lawyers, accountants, engineers, etc.) should be

invited to put forward a panel of names from

which the Governor would make appointments to the

Legislature.

Page 01344