136
137
Mr Hale (Commodities Dept)
TEXTILIS AND HONG KONG
1.
Mr Ridley has sent me a copy of his letter to you of 9 December. I suggest for your consideration that in the reply which I assume you till we sending we should say that the FCO were not dealing with the Hong Kong side in parallel with UTI. 11 we did was to inform the Hong Kong Government Office of the agreement reached between Mr Royle and Sir John Eden. As you know, the initiative for a change in the text of the confidential letter came from 'r koyle.
2. As to channels of communication, I think it would be as well to point out to the DTI that the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary is responsible to Parliament for the peace, order and good government of Hong Kong.
O Laird
Hong Kong Department
10 December 1971
сс
Mr Milford (with copy of Er idley's letter
of 9 December)