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CONFIDENTIAL
(27)
REGEL EX IP REGI
- 6 JUN1975
28
Mr McNally
HONG KONG
1. I notice that in paragraph 5 of your minute of 3 June to the Secretary of State you mention the possibility of his raising Hong Kong with the TUC delegation. I wonder if this is wise since we shall not by that time have completed the briefs or clarified our ideas. Would it not be sufficient if the Secretary of State at the meeting with the Internationa: Committee of the TUC on 19 June were merely to inform them that he has asked for a special examination to be made of certain aspects of labour and trade union affairs in Hong Kong and that when he has had an opportunity to consider these he would like to speak to them again?
2. I think we must also take into account the Overseas Labour Consultative Committee, of which Lord Goronwy-Roberts is Chairman and of which Mr Jack Jones and other members of the International Committee of the TUC are members.
We are developing a certain amount of overlap here.
3. As you know, I am also Labour Adviser at the Ministry of Overseas Development. Mrs Judith Hart has expressed a wish to meet the International Committee to talk about aid. I warned that members of this Committee were pretty hard pressed these days and that it might be worthwhile taking some sounding first. But Mrs Hart nevertheless wrote to Mr Murray suggesting a meeting and received a somewhat cool reply suggesting that the matter be first discussed between officials!
to me that if the Secretary of State saw no objection, Mra Hart might be invited to join the meeting on 19 June at some convenient point.
4. I am sorry not to be able to talk to you about all this but I leave today for the International Labour Conference and do not expect to be back in the office until Monday, 23 June.
A
5 June 1975
c. Mr O'Keeffe
PS to Lord Goronwy Roberts
CONFIDENTIAL
G Foggon