}
consider the suggestion.
4. Mr Pendry said that there were so many issues which put
Britain in a bad light in Hong Kong. Examples were the
uncertainty over the sterling agreements and the apparent milking
of the Stock Exchange by British institutions. The media had been
Effective action on the Godber case would take the
unhelpful.
sting out of all this.
5. Sir Alec Douglas-Home said that he knew the Governor had been
unhappy about police morale for some time because of the crime wave.
Mr Pendry thought that the anti-crime drive was succeeding. But
some policemen might well resign if Mr Slevin became Commissioner.
He thought the Anti-Corruption Branch should be separate from the
police. When he talked to the Press, he would avoid mentioning tho
possible amendment to the Fugitive Offenders Act because of the
danger of scaring Mr Godber away.
6. Mr Pendry then said that one of his pet subjects was industrial
relations. Some other time he would like to talk about the
application to Hong Kong of various ILO conventions.
He thought
that collective bargaining machinery was poor. Mr Crowson said that
he understood two new pieces of legislation on this subject were
being drafted in Hong Kong. Mr Pendry said he had heard of this
and welcomed it publicly as a first step.
7. Sir Alec Douglas-Home said that he would be having discussions
with Sir Murray MacLehose next week. He agreed that the Godber cano
loomed large, and would certainly be talking about it with the
Governor. Mr Pendry said he thought Hong Kong had made miraculous
achievements. Much credit was due to the Hong Kong Government; it
was help they needed rather than criticism. Even the Communist
Chinese Trade Unionista participated well in the system. He thought
#
3- CONFIDENTIAL
*******
/that