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Sir D
Wayson Parliamentary Unit
CONFIDENTIAL
46
PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION: CORRUPTION IN HONG KONG
1. I submit a draft reply to the attached Question put down by Mr Kenneth Warren MP (Conservative, Hastings) for Oral Answer on 19 February.
2. The answer has been suggested by the Governor. I had thought that, since the question does not directly relate to a Royal Commission, the Minister might prefer to avoid giving an unequivocal negative in the substantive answer, but to confine himself to the fact that a commission (the Independent Commission Against Corruption - ICAC) has already been set up in Hong Kong with the agreement of HMG. However, the first supplementary
would inevitably have been whether HMG regarded this as sufficient and whether a Royal Commission should not additionally be appointed. The Governor considers that it would be better
to meet this directly in the answer, and after consultation with Lord Goronwy-Roberts's Private Secretary, I now agree. Since the answer to the question whether a commission should be established is No, there is no need to go on to deal with whether
it should take evidence in camera.
3. Some figures are missing in paragraph 6 of the Notes for Supplementaries. The Governor has promised to supply these on 14 February (when the 3-day Chinese New Year holiday, currently being enjoyed in Hong Kong, will be over).
4.
The trial of former Chief Superintendent Godber begins in
supplementares Hong Kong on 17 February. I have therefore included Notes on Godber's extradition from the UK as well as on the allegations of former Superintendent Hunt, who will be an important Crown witness at Godber's trial. The Governor has asked that great
/care should
CONFIDENTIAL