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Board of Trade under Cabinet Office chairmanship under the
previous Administration.
This paper was never taken by the
Cabinet Committee to which it was submitted and therefore lapsed
when the Government changed in June 1970. The present paper
has been written wholly in the FCO. It has not been cleared
so far with any other Department since before it goes elsewhere
in Whitehall I believe that we should obtain sanction of our
Ministers.
4.
If it is approved by the Secretary of State it is for
consideration whether a shorter paper summarising its
conclusions should be put to DOPC. On the other hand the
paper closes no options and its only recommendation is for
regular review of the situation. The Secretary of State may
feel that no action with DOPC is therefore needed, though he
may wish to inform senior colleagues of the consideration which
he has given to this thorny question. If, however, the paper is
to go to DOPC it would be as well that it should be cleared
through DOP(0) Committee first.
5. The text of the paper has not so far been seen by the
Governor of Hong Kong, or by the Governor-designate.
tum hilfão
K M Wilford
28 June 1971