CODE
18-77
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Mr Hurst, Overseas Labour Adviser
TURNER REFORT
Reference
26
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1. I spoke arain to the Governor Hong Kong on the telephone this morning about the Turner Report (my note of 3 February). I had previously told him that we were committed to showing the interim report to the meeting of the Cverseas Labour Cor.sultative Committee on 29 April. I told the Governor that I hoped that we would have the comments of the Hong Kong Government which would include the results of Frofessor Turner's discussions in Hong Kong before that.
2. The Governor told me that he himself was very keen that Frofessor Turner should now have an opportunity to complete his studies and to produce a final versio of his report. I said that I myself arreed with him but that we were committed by the terms of Mr Crosland's letter to Mr Murray to seek the advice of the OLCC on an extension and on the form it should take. The Governor emphasised that if an extension were arreed the terms and reference including honoraria, expenses and timing should be ruch more carefully framed than they had been for the first part of the study. I agreed. He also said that he thought it was important that no deadline for the production of the final report should be included. I did not indicate assent or dissent but I think that this is a reasonable point.
The Secretary of State is meeting the TUC on 25 February.
Hong Kong Department will try to submit the interim report to the Secretary of State via Lord Goronwy-Roberts by that date in order that the Secretary of State, if questioned on the Turner Report, will be able to say that it is now in our hands and that we can send copies to the TUC in Food time for consideration at the CLCC meeting on 29 April. I accept that it will not be possible to include in the submissior to the Secretary of State any comments on the report by Hong Kong. I suggest that we must accept this limitation and try to ensure that Hong Kong's comments are available in time for the OLCC meeting.
4. I accept that no formal decision can be made on extension of the study before the CLCC meeting. However I suggest that we should now approach ODM and try to get from them a commitment to finance the study either wholly or in part. You will be aware the Governor has offered to match £ for £ any contribution by ODM to the study. I told the Governor this morning that I anticipated grave difficulties in persuading ODM to finance the study and asked him if he would be prepared to finance the whole. I told him in reply to his objection that in our opinion Frofessor Turner's credibility would not be affected by the sources of the financing of his study given his status and national reputation. He said that if there was no other way he would try to finance the study eg through the Centre for Asian Studies at the University.
10 February 1977
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JA B Stewart
Hong Kong Department