Mr. Kinnear
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Zelle sur чере
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29/10
Trade Union Legislation
I asked you originally to draft a follow-up to our telegram No.700 to Hong Kong because we told Hong Kong in that telegram that we would be raising "other less important points". Telegram No.700 went off before we had an opportunity to see what further points the Legal Advisers wished us to raise. It is most unfortunate that the only other comment that they have also deals with Clause 12(c) and does not in any case touch on a point of significance. In the circumstances and in view of the terms of Hong Kong telegram No.725 it would be most unwise of us to send a further telegram on the lines proposed. Mr. Foggon agreed with this assessment of the situation when I spoke to him earlier this week. I was only able to catch Mr. Eaton yesterday but he too agreed that it would be better to let the small additional point drop. I accordingly propose to send a further telegram on the lines of the draft attached. This should not go until
we have cleared the wording with Mr. Eaton. I do not want to say to Hong Kong something like "We have no further comments", because we may in fact wish to raise points of a political nature (Mr. Eaton referred to
'peaceful picketing" in his minute of 14 October).
2.
Mr. Royle did not in fact talk to Mr. England in Hong Kong. There was no time to fit this in to the programme. We must send forward as soon as possible the full reply promised to Mr. Judd a month ago. It is most unfortunate that he has now put down a Parliamentary Question. We must also reply to Mr. Johnson's letter. If you have not already done so, please get copies of any correspondence from Mr. Logan or Miss Deas. Finally, there is the letter from Mr. Feather. Although he said that he would be writing again I hope we shall be able to get our further letter to him before we receive further criticism from him.
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E. 0. Larra
Hong Kong Department 29 October, 1970.