CO_1030_1459_HONG_KONG_CONSTITUTIONAL_DEVELOPMENT_1963_1965 — Page 72

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the present variegated system of advisory bodies without clear duties and responsibilities is not very satisfactory in itself - although I am not one for administrative tidiness for its own sake.

the main aim must continue to be the exercise of the greatest care before any basic changes are made to the system of central government, for the familiar reasons. "Advances" in local government may help to delay demands for changes in the Colony's constitution but see below for counter-arguments.

9 Before coming to the points on which I feel I ought to seek your views, there is one other piece of background that I must stress. In the

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official comments that have been made on this whole question, there is almost unanimous agreement that it is time to give serious thought to these matters, but almost no agreement so far on what ought to be done. Nor, at this stage, would I expect any. This lack of any consensus of opinion, however, illustrates the great complexity of the problem, which I have made no attempt to bring out in detail here. Clearly no final solutions will be reached without, as I have already said, keen public interest being aroused and a great deal of publicity. There is little or no hope of proceeding by a series of unnoticed changes: and whatever goes on will inevitably come to the attention of the Chinese government.

lo One must therefore attempt to assess the Chinese reaction if we establish a system under which local authorities can be set up in the New Territories, even if we in fact establish them very slowly and even if their powers are very limited. It is possible that they might see in this the beginning of an unwelcome desire on our part to move the Colony towards self-government or independence, and object strongly. On the other hand, they have accepted the extension of the Urban Council's authority into New Page 72 okoloon; and may appreciate and be reassured Byt Bae

distinction between local and central government.

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Page Bouflg myself guess (and it is only a guess) Phot7th£y44 would probably not react unfavourably, provided we made the limitations of what we were trying to do clear and also provided there was not such a hullabaloo in Hong Kong itself over whatever was proposed that they felt obliged to shove their oar in. Nevertheless, this is not a matter for my opinion alone, but one in which you will want to have your say.

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1 Second, although I have said that changes in the local government structure may help to delay demands for changes in the Colony's constitution, the fact still remains that such demands, where they are made, continue to lack force. Public debate on related subjects may foster these demands. Again, my preliminary view is that demands for constitutional advance would not be permanently stimulated to any dangerous extent, although we would go through an awkward period. Indeed the imposition of limits to the Urban Council's growth might on the whole have a reassuring effect rather than otherwise; but I feel I must nevertheless call attention to this aspect of the whole problem. More important is the question whether you would consider changes in the local government structure designed to enable the setting up of local authorities in addition to the Urban Council to be "major constitutional change". Again, I would have said not, since the local government structure is not, to my knowledge, usually considered to be part of a country's constitutional structure; but I would be glad to know your general views on this point. I do realise of course that, without the details of what might be proposed, a firm view is not possible.

We are, naturally, a very long way from any finality on this matter and, indeed, I have as yet no very positive ideas on how we should proceed, if we are to proceed at all, to a solution of the many questions which will have to be resolved. It has been enough so far to come to the opinion that it would be desirable to review the whole position if we can. Possibly some sort of Commission may have to be set up to take evidence and hear views, but this is for the future. In the meanwhile I have a small working party going, charged with the task of trying to get rid of some of the more obvious anomalies in the eligibility of various groups to be registered as electors for the Page 73 of 344