IMMEDIATE
CYPHER CAT / A
FM HONG KONG 2507532
CONFIDENTIAL
5
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY
TO IMMEDIATE F.C.O. TELEGRAM NO. 349 OF 25 MAY 1971
YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 380 TO ME.
NIGHT WORK FOR WOMEN.
LAST
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THE PROPOSAL TO EXTEND THE SCHEME, WHILE TECHNICALLY CONFIDENTIAL, IS ALREADY KNOWN ON A WIDE BASIS AND MANY FRONTS, ALTHOUGH IT
WOULD THEORETICALLY BE PRACTICABLE TO DELAY A PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT, THIS DELAY WOULD INEVITABLY BE ASSUMED TO BE AS A RESULT OF INTERVENTION FROM HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT, WHICH AT THE PRESENT MOMENT WOULD BE EXTREMEL Y EMBARRASSING TO ME.
2. THE COMMISSIONER OF LABOUR HAS NO KNOWLEDGE OF THE MEETING
ARRANGED FOR THE 26TH MAY, AND PRICE HAS NOT BEEN AUTHORISED, NOR BRIEFED, TO DISCUSS THE SUBJECT, WHICH WAS IN ANY
CASE REVIEWED AFTER HIS DEPARTURE ON LEAVE,
3. I MUST I THINK THEREFORE IN THE PUBLIC INTEREST GO AHEAD SEMICOLON BUT AM DELAYING AN ANNOUNCEMENT UNTIL 1700 HOURS LOCAL
TIME 27TH MAY. THIS IS LATEST POSSIBLE DATE AS DIFFICULTIES WILL
ARISE OVER WHETHER EMPLOYERS SHOULD GIVE ONE MONTHS' NOTICE TO
GUARD AGAINST PERMISSION TO WORK WOMEN LARSING.
TRENCH
FILES
HKD
OLA
SIR L MONSON
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No.51
26 MAY 1971
NXXSY
23
MR WILFORD
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CONFIDENTIAL