in relation to their possible effect on the recommend-
ations in the third report (which is concerned with
the use of Chinese in court proceedings and as a
language of the law).
4. It seems that consideration of the Committee's
various reports is likely to be a slow process
(although the Committee's second report was presented
in April, it has not yet been put to the Executive
Council), but if the Hong Kong Government drags its
feet too much over this exercise it is likely to
come under pressure from those elements in the
Colony which have been advocating the adoption of
Chinese as an official language. The matter is also likely to be the subject of parliamentary interest her (as witness the two recent parliamentary questions
by Mr James Johnson) and I intend to keep in close
devititments
touch with the Hong Kong Government over this issue.
NOTHING TO BE Written in THIS MARGIN