Mr Murray o.r.
PLANNING PAPER
CONFIDENTIAL
Mr Dutty
Mu. David th
I suggest that fue disco with th. Frewart at the H.K. Locion urechip
Formorrow, 20 April.
1. During my recent visit to Hong Kong I was several times plu reproached gently about the operations of the Monitoring Committee on the Planning Paper. Although my interlocutors
19/4 were grateful that we were making available to them a frank account of thinking in the FCO about Hong Kong affairs, they felt that the Committee was tending to go well outside its terms of reference and to consider not only progress of the Planning Paper's proposals, but also other irrelevant matters, e.g. staff matters and, in particular, the Kent case. They felt too, and I was grateful for their frankness, that there was a bit too much nit-picking by the Committee.
2. I propose to discuss this in my Department and with the OLA and Senior Economic Adviser, to whom I am copying this minute, and, if you agree, I shall come to you later in April with proposals.
5 April 1977
CC:
Mr Hurst
Mr Smith (SEA) Mr Milton
Mr David
m. Steport
D.F. Milton
pp JA B Stewart
Hong Kong Department
witter/Farcasideration
welove the next meeting
Chave we fixed acute yet?
some force in this
I think there
is
but
prepared
t
defend
mit. picking
demonstrating the interest
certain amount of
whitehall in
what is happening in Hong Kong. But not too much! We
can hope that the Kent
<
cause will not be repeated, and
Ondudsman discussion with the Covariar suggests that
it weit.
But I look forward to
CONFIDENTIAL
your proposals.
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