44
36
FLAGS A, B,
C
FLAG D
FLAG E
38
37
30
FLAG F
+2
S
CONFIDENTIAL
See (49)
HKK 430/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY MO. 51 08 JUN 1978
Mr Murray
NSID
PS/Lord Goronwy Koberts
泉
No
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
HONG KONG MPS LETTERS: MR FRANK HOOLEY MP, MR ARTHUR LATHAM MP AND MR STAN NEWENS MP
1.
Mr Frank Hooley (Labour
PA
REGI TRY
Action Teen
व्ह
Heeley), Mr Arthur Latham
(Labour Paddington) and Mr Stan Newens (Labour/Cooperative
Harlow) have all written to Lord Goronwy-Roberts about the dispute between the Hong Kong Government and the Shorthand and Audio Typists' Association (SATA).
2. In Mr Stewart's submission of 11 May dealing with Lord Brockway's letter on the same subject he explained that the Hong Kong Government believed that the dispute was no longer a live issue. Mr Stewart proposed to write to Hong Kong emphasising that the dispute could not be dismissed in this way, and urging that positive steps be taken to reach a solution. He duly did this on
19 May.
3. I am reasonably confident that Mr Rowlands will now try to find a way out of this problem. In his public
pronouncements and his actions since he took over as Secretary for the Civil Service at the end of March, he has shown himself much more sensitive in his attitude
When towards staff relations than was his predecessor. Mr Thompson of this Department was in Hong Kong at the beginning of this month, he discussed the SATA dispute with Mr Rowlands whom he found disposed to look at the whole problem afresh. Mr Rowlands claimed, however, that he had been put in a difficult position by the recent PQ: if he were to make some sort of concession now, it would be interpreted as bowing to pressure from London.
CONFIDENTIAL
/But,