(118281) Dd. 391599 1,500M 2/69 Hw.
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry
No. HKK 18/35
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted. Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
..In Confidence
DRAFT
To:-
Captandard Сарым
Mr. O'Brien (FPAD)
се
Х
From
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
Pension Policy
I explained to Mr. Shakespeare that it would be
impossible to comment by 7 November on the ODM working
papers on this subject attached to your minute of 5
November. We can agree with ODM without difficulty
that Hong Kong poses a special problem. But we shall
require more time, probably much more, in which to
examine this complex question before we can comment,
with any confidence that we have fully explored the
issues in relation to Hong Kong. However, the diffi-
culty is that any announcement which may be imminent,
to the effect that HMG accepts responsibility for the
pre-independence portion of pensions still payable by
other dependent territories, approaching independence
in the ordinary way, may immediately embarrass us in
our dealings with Hong Kong, unless this policy decision
repercussive is very carefully presented with an eye to the impli- Effects an
cations for the unique situation in Hong Kong. In fact
we are inclined to think that it may be impossible to
make such an announcement without exposing ourselves to
a dilemma.
These comments will not therefore be exhaustive;
and are most likely to make only a negative contribution
to the problem.
We accept that the Hong Kong position is unique in
that we are dealing with a territory with no prospect
/ that
...