CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL
THE WESTMINSTER PUBLISHING CORPORATION
12.
The "inertia" selling methods of this Hong Kong firm have been the subject of complaint from a number of British companies and has been brought to the attention of MPs. DOT have been in touch with the Department of Commerce and Industry in Hong Kong and the latter appear to have succeeded in persuading the WPC to attach a notice to their "invoices" saying in effect that the "invoice" does not assert a legal claim to payment. DOT doubt whether this would in itself be sufficient to meet the requirements of the Unsolicited Goods and Services Act 1971. We have therefore asked the Secretariat to consider another approach to the WPC, in an attempt to get them to introduce further modifications to their practices. We have also suggested that they might consider the possibility of introducing legislation in Hong Kong on lines similar to the law in the United Kingdom.
13.
I am indebted for the draft of this letter to Ken Hanna, who is Mark Goodfellow's successor. If you think the information in it is the sort of thing you need, or if you would like more, for example on the politics of the relationship, no doubt you will let us know? An obvious omission is the Defence Review; but that I fear we cannot discuss at the moment. In any case the forthcoming elections obviously strew question-marks around.
Yours ever, Andrew
A C Stuart
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.
CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL