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8.
The elimination of corruption is a most difficult task, and would be so even with the aid of the Bill in its original form. It has already been significantly weakened at the insistence of your advisers. If more of its teeth are drawn, it will prove that much the more inadequate for its task, and corruption will continue to flourish that much the more. It will be difficult for the public and public servants not to draw the conclusion that corruption here is not, after all, considered as a particularly serious matter by HMG and can be indulged in with comparative impunity.
9.
The other less controversial and less important aspects of the Bill mentioned in Carter's letter to the AG HKK 14/8 of the 9th February can I think be more easily resolved to our mutual satisfaction, and they will be dealt with in a separate communication.
BK
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