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7. Your department is conducting an exercise designed to organise and improve the flow of economic and commercial information to dependent territories. Mr. McKelvie suggests at (2) that we might await its outcome, although there is recognition in his
minute that Hong Kong may need to be treated sui generis. I do not think there is any doubt that Hong Kong must be treated on a separate basis. I should be grateful for your agreement to pursue this request separately and for your advice on how this might be done. I am assuming that it will be necessary to consult Establishment and Organisation Department and Security Department.
W. c. Carter
(W. S. Carter)
Hong Kong Department
2 June, 1969
Mr. O'Brien
•
Mr. Carter
I am sorry that it has taken me a little time to reply to Mr. Carter's minute above. Let me say first that as regards our general exercise on the flow of economic and commercial information to dependent territories, this has produced little or nothing relevant to the present case. I agree therefore with Mr. Carter's paragraph 7 that the present request from Hong Kong must be treated on a separate basis.
2*
I have a lot of sympathy with Mr. Maddocks' request and so far as I am concerned I should be prepared to agree with it. Political information is, of course, not my business and you may need to consult the geographical departments concerned with the posts which Mr. Maddocks has listed. On the economic side Mr. O'Brien may have views. On my front, I would not have thought it necessary to consult the Board of Trade as Mr. Carter says the present case is different from the earlier affair relating to the Hong Kong Export Credit Insurance Corporation.
3. Mr. Maddocks' request is for information which would generally be in the form of a despatch though there might also be "the occasional letter". Thus as Mr. Carter says, he is not asking for any additional reports from posts, only for copies of material which
It seems from Mr. Marsh' is already being produced. minute of 27 May I have no knowledge of the print distribution system myself that no automatic
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