(145181) Dd. 737490 750M
1/71 Hw.
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted. Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
...In Confidence
DRAFT SUBMISSION
Sit
Parliamentary Unit
Type 1 +
Erőm
Mr Laird Telephone No. & Ext.
To:-
Mr Logan
Department
one of
1.
The attached Parliamentary Question is the first
two inter-related Questions by Mr James Johnson down
on which are for written reply today1 December). I
am submitting separately on the other Question. A
ir
draft reply is attached, and is based on the information
in Hong Kong telegram no 896.
2. Since last year a campaign has been conducted by
certain elements in Hong Kong to secure recognition
of Chinese as an official language in the Colony and
in October 1970 the Hong Kong Government set up a
committee to enquire into the whole matter.
3. The Committee has now submitted 4 reports on the
subject to the Hong Kong Government, the last of
which was presented in July 1971. The Hong Kong
Government have already accepted in principle the
recommendations in the Committee's first report
(these concern the use of Chinese in Legislative
and Urban Council proceedings together with the
question of providing the necessary attendant facilities
thay
for simultaneous interpretation): is still
considering the remaining three reports, one of which
concerns the use of Chinese in court proceedings.
4.
to which particular a pect the Question relates.
During the past twelve months the Chinese
language issue has been the subject of representations
from various quarters and in November and December 190
/it