Mr Murray
PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts
-Roberts To
issue
HONG KONG: LABOUR CONDITIONS
30
HKK 212/5
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY KO. 51
14 DEC 1978
DESK OFFICER
ANDEX
PA
EG RY
Action Ten
Flag A
(29)
Flag B
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12
21
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attaliked
До
при
1. In his letter of 20 November, Mr Bob Cryer MP explained why he felt unable to retract his statement during a debate in the House of Commons on 24 July, that workers in Hong Kong were "grossly exploited". Lord Goronwy-Roberts had suggested in his letter of 3 August that Mr Cryer might withdraw his remark.
2. At the time, Mr Cryer'was a member of the Government and his comment caused considerable resentment in Hong Kong. A question was tabled in the Hong Kong Legislative Council and Lord Goronwy- Roberts agreed that the Hong Kong Government should make clear in reply that the views expressed by Mr Cryer were not the considered views of HMG. The President of the Chinese Manufacturers Association of Hong Kong subsequently wrote a letter to The Times on the subject, which was published on 25 September. Since then there has been no further reaction, and the affair
seems to have blown over.
3. As Mr Cryer's letter was in reply to one from Lord Goronwy- Roberts, and as he has now returned to the back benches, the Minister of State may feel that no useful purpose would be served by continuing the correspondence. If Lord Goronwy-Roberts does wish to reply, I recommend that he should do so on the lines of the attached draft.
11 December 1978
выборми
R JT McLaren
Hong Kong and General Department
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