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Mr Male
Parliamentary Unit
CONFIDENTIAL
1 NKK 3841)
NICK 02211
In a mución only/Action on
HONG KONG: PQS: WR FRANK HOOLEY MP
1. Mr Frank Hooley MP (Labour Sheffield, Heeley) has followed up his three PQs last week on drug and gambling offences in Hong Kong Flag A (my submission of 1 November and Mr Luard's Answers on 3 November)
with another ten Written Questions covering a variety of topics.
2. The Hong Kong Government and HM Embassy Peking have provided Flags B information and advice on which to base replies to Mr Hooley's C, D
Questions. Hong Kong telegrams nos, 1128 and 1129, and Peking'e telegram no. 935) A number of Mr Hooley's Questions call for some explanation. The two (nos. 2 and 10) about statements in the UN concerning Hong Kong, seem designed to bring out the point that HMG is the soveriegn authority in Hong Kong and ought, therefore, to be able to introduce changes there, e.g. a representative form of government, regardless of China's susceptibilities. I believe that Mr Hooley is one of those MPs who decline to accept that the "Chinese dimension" has to be taken into account in determining what may or may not be done in Hong Kong. His Question (No. 4) about the office of the Political Adviser, which advises the Governor on relations with China, is probably aimed at suggesting that the resources devoted to it would be better used in some other way. probably has the same consideration in mind with regard to his Question (No. 6) about the Hong Kong Government Office in London. In the case of Question No. 5, I think that we should accept the Hong Kong Covernment's view that it would be contrary to the interestá of security in Hong Kong to say how many persons have been held at the Victoria Road Detention Centre. I understand, however, from the Parliamentary Unit that the reference in Erskine May to which Hong Kong have drawn attention, in connection with this Question, is probably irrelevant. There is no such reference in the current edition. It is, in any case, unnecessary to make any reference to Erskine ay in the reply. Mr Hooley's Question (No. 7) about members of the Hong Kong Police Force under investigation by the
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