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Sir D Watson

1.

The sense of the foregoing minutes is that the Acting Governor's recommendation is unduly stuffy; and that all those who have here been consulted would have been happy to agree to a change in Hong Kong practice. But that, as this is essentially a matter for local decision (and there are no viable precedents in other dependencies), we should not press our point of view.

2. It seems to me that in fairness we should indicate to Hong Kong that we are not rooting wholeheartedly for them on this issue. You might care to consider the addition of a final paragraph to the effect:

"You should know that, had Mr Roberts' recommendation been in favour of a change, we would have foreseen no difficulty in agreeing."

PR Mah

P JE Male

27 November 1974

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Toman Walion

20/12°

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460

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