Reference.......HKK 6/13
Mr. Stewart (Hong Kong Department)
wih (2)
Supply of Economic and
Political Information to Hong Kong
I am grateful to you for showing me these papers, more especially since they tie up with an exercise which we mounted here some time ago. I attach our file and you will see that we have been at pains to ascertain how far all dependent territories (not only Hong Kong) are receiving an adequate supply of back- ground information, particularly on economic and commercial subjects.
2. As you will see from our papers, the response from the other Departments dealing with the dependent terri- tories has not been very vivid. Nevertheless, while enquiries are in train I think it would be preferable to await their outcome since if there is anything like a general demand for certain types of information we might collate it in this Department. On past form it seems more likely that Hong Kong will need to be treated sui generis in which case the matter can be followed up along the lines proposed.
Jhy.
(J. N. McKelvie) Trade Policy Department
14 March, 1969