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avoid giving a direct answer to this question
by taking the following lines:-
(a)
We could say that we do not disclose
such matters (as Lord Beswick did in
(b)
(c)
the debate in the House of Lords on
22nd June).
We could stand on our public statements
about our intention to maintain the
authority of the Hong Kong Government
and to fulfil our responsibilities and
obligations to the Colony.
We could infer that the evacuation of
Hong Kong was impracticable, pointing
to the fact that there are some 2 million
citizens of the United Kingdom and
Colonies in Hong Kong to whom our
responsibilities extend just as much as
/they