CO_1030_1459_HONG_KONG_CONSTITUTIONAL_DEVELOPMENT_1963_1965 — Page 56

17th December 1965

You Hell

As you know, it will be necessary to reconsider the composition of Executive Council in mid-1966, when the present appointments expire. I have recently come to think that it might be a good idea to take this opportunity to expand the unofficial membership by 2, one non-Chinese and one Chinese; making 6 official and 8 unofficial members, and thus producing an unofficial majority.

This

can, of course, be done without any changes being necessary in the Letters Patent or Royal Instructions.

Very briefly, my reasons are:-

(a) to have a few more unofficial members

available for the increasing amount of work in advisory committees, etc;

(b)

(c)

to emphasize the importance of Executive Council (which is not always well under- stood locally), and the large part unofficial members play in its delibera- tions, by giving it an unofficial majority this, I believe, can be done quite safely given the way Council works in practice;

to some extent, to reassure unofficial expatriate British opinion, which is shewing some signs of becoming a little concerned at its proportional decrease in representation in Legislative Council

Sir Hilton Poynton, G.C.M.G., Colonial Office,

London, S.W.1.

A Caller by just

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