1613
CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET
10
JRes
PS/Lord Goronwy-Koberts
CALL ON NORD GORONWY-ROBERTS BY MRS SYMONS AND MR CHEONG-LEEN
1.
Mrs Joyce Symons and Mr Hilton Cheong-leen, both Unofficial Members of Hong Kong's Legislative Council, are to call on Lord Goronwy-Roberts on 16 May at 11.00 a.m.
2.
Mrs Symons and Mr Cheong-leen are members of a group of 24 delegates from 17 Commonwealth countries who are making a 17-day visit to Britain at the invitation of the Commonwealth Parliamentary
Association.
3.
Mrs Symons was born in 1918. She is Headmistress of the Diocesan Girls' School and has been a Member of LegCo since 1972. She visited Britain in November 1972 on an FCO/COI sponsored tour for Members of ExCo and LegCo.
4.
Mr Cheong-leen was born in 1922. He is General Manager of an Import/Export company. He has been an elected member of the Urban Council since 1957 and is now Vice-Chairman. He is also Chairman of the Hong Kong Civic Association (a quasi-political party). He has been a member of LegCo since 1973.
5.
Mr James Johnson MP has suggested that there should be a regular arrangement whereby two or three elected members of the Urban Council should (like Mr Cheong-leen) also be made Unofficial Members of LegCo. Mr Cheong-leen himself considers that there should be no pressure on the Governor to adopt a convention of this sort and that nomination to LegCo should continue to be on an "ad hoc" basis.
6.
Mr Cheong-leen has told me that he hopes to raise with Lord Goronwy-Roberts the question of the death penalty. I attach a brief. He said he did not intend to discuss anything else.
7.
In the past, Mr Cheong-leen has wanted to tell the press about. his talks with British Ministers. It might be as well for the Minister to say that he hopes Mr Cheong-leen will regard the discussion as confidential and not give details to the media.
8.
Mr Dinwiddy (HKIOD) will attend the call.
дев
A C Stuart
15 May 1974
CC
Sir D Watson
Mr Youde
News Dept.
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.
CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET