HONG
5 4
KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE
PALL
MALL LONDON S. Ꮃ . I
Our Ref: 2/32/220CD.
I.
1st August, 1969.
44
Dear Marsh,
Visitors to Hong Kong.
When distinguished visitors intend to go to Hong Kong, it is natural for them to ask the Foreign and Commonwealth Office for a briefing but occasionally they get in touch with this Office direct without mentioning that they have also asked you to help. Some duplication of effort is probably inevitable but it would probably be helpful if we could keep each other informed of such requests. I imagine that where background literature is involved you will in any case have to ask us to supply but a case did arise recently where I sent a telegram to Hong Kong about a Member of Parliament without knowing that you had already cabled Hong Kong on the same subject.
As you know, the Hong Kong Government periodically invites Members of Parliament to Hong Kong, usually in pairs, for a visit of eight to ten days, paying for their air fares and hotel accommodation. Invitations are issued through the Hong Kong Association, while I assist in the briefing and travel arrangements. If any such M.P's ask you for a briefing as well, you can take it that we shall have, or are in the process of supplying them with all the relevant back- ground literature and that what they require is a verbal briefing only on the general political, social and economic sides. We try where possible to tailor the programmes for such M.P's to cover their special interests and if we can we supply them with Annual Departmental Reports or other material on the departments whose work they particularly wish to study. I think that we have generally informed someone in the Hong Kong Department at least verbally of any such visits but I will arrange in future for you to be informed in writing as a matter of routine.
Occasionally we are notified by the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association of M.P's who will be passing through Hong Kong and are asked to supply briefing material. I imagine that the Association also notifies you automaticaly of any such visits. Do you wish us to copy any relevant correspondence we have with the Commonwealth Parliamentary Association to you or are you already sufficiently in the picture? A case in point is the visit in October of Miss Herbison and three other M.P's who are going first to the Western Pacific.
J.K.Marsh, Esq.,
Hong Kong Department,
-1-
K
271
RaR
入
Foreign & Commonwealth Office, King Charles Street,
LONDON, S.W.1.
TELEPHONE 01-930-7951
4.51fisch fle
--5 AUG 1969
4
CABLES HONGAID LONDON S.W.I
MPS'
ANG
8.69