Mr Stuart
Mr. Youde
PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts
E
PETITIONS BY MR PUN TING CHAU
123
A
PROBLEM
1.
Mr Winston Churchill MP has written to Mr Hattersley,
enclosing a petition from Mr Pun Ting Chau in Hong Kong.
BACKGROUND
2.
Mr Pun has also addressed the same petition (dated
3 January 1974) to Lord Shepherd and to Mr Ennals. The copy
addressed to Mr Ennals reached the FCO on 26 April. I have
already referred it to the Governor.
3.
AS
In accordance with Dependent Territories Departmental
Practice, inhabitants of Hong Kong should submit petitions
through the Governor for his comments and recommendations.
well as being in accordance with precedent, this is a sensible
rule which enables petitions to be dealt with in an orderly way
and on the basis of full information. Very occasionally, when
an MP has raised a question of immediate and substantial
importance, we have short-circuited this process and dealt with
the matter directly ourselves; though even then we have
invariably asked the Governor for his comments.
such special features in the present case, and having started
the process by the normal procedure, we would only cross wires
if we tried to alter it.
There are no
RESTRICTED
/RECOMMENDATION