CONFIDENTIAL
BACKGROUND NOTE
THE STANDING COMMITTEE ON PRESSURE GROUPS
1. In 1977 the Hong Kong Government set up an interdepartmental
Standing Committee on Pressure Groups to advise on the views of a wide
range of people in the community and, in particular, of groups who
have been critical of the Hong Kong Government's policies.
Its function
is to ensure that these views are fully understood and to advise on
how the Government should respond to them.
2.
The Committee's deliberations are classified as both the Security
and Special Branches are represented. They have an obvious and
legitimate interest in the possibility of penetration of these pressure
groups by subversive organisations.
3. In December 1980 a supposedly leaked SCOPG report provoked an
article in the 'New Statesman' (11 December 1980). This described
SCOPG as part of a conspiracy to inhibit free expression in Hong Kong.
There has been some Parliamentary interest in the Committee, fuelled
by the New Statesman's claim that SCOPG has infiltrated pressure groups.
The Hong Kong Government says that this claim is without foundation.
A number of MPs including Mr Parry, have received copies of the leaked
SCOPG report.
:
4. Only 3 MPs are mentioned in the SCOPG report. They are James
Johnson (Labour
→
Kingston upon Hull, W), Robert Parry (Labour
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Liverpool, Scotland Exchange) and Ben Ford (Labour Bradford, N). The
references are factual and concern known links with Hong Kong pressure
groups.
Hong Kong and General Department
24 March 1981
CONFIDENTIAL