CONFIDENTAL
Enter
19
Ref: IB CR 6/5701
Dear David,
Secretary for Information,
1710 New World Tower, 16-18 Queen's Road Hong Kong.
Central,
HKK 021/4
4th May YED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
03 JUN 1981
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
مار
Visits to Hong Kong of MPs
PA
MEGIATRY
Astion taked
446.71x
Following our brief telephone conversation about the visit of Steel and Tanlaw, I enclose copies of minutes from David Wilson and John Curle. Things got off to a poor start, but after the Governor spoke to them by telephone and gave them an hour late on Monday afternoon, their attitude altered. They felt they were not treated with sufficient seriousness and pomp, and were unable to understand our view of the nature of the visit and the difficulty of its timing.
2.
The overall effect may not be too bad, or at least not as bad as it looked up until Monday midday. One wonders why Steel suffers such a dubious entourage. It is not possible to describe Lady Tanlaw's attitude without being unchivalrous.
3. As for any future visit by Steel, he obviously does not think an "ordinary" MPs visit is appropriate. Lady Tanlaw's firm and vociferous prediction that he will be the next Prime Minister was rather undercut by him saying at the FCC that he "would be prepared to serve under Shirley Williams". A quaint but evocative phrase. We shall have to have every detail of protocol and expenses clearly agreed well before he leaves England!
20
очело
ever,
(A.J. Scott)
D. R. Ford Esq., MVO, OBE, JP, Hong Kong Government Office, 6 Grafton Street,
London W1X 3LB
c.c.
PA Dofp
R. D. Clift Esq., FCO
Mr.
Mr. Clips
you
Thank
Azl Argfald
76
The mint was not the grated thing Zong. Lady Tralows
wo/e
was the main poin
CONFIDENTIAL Rinfilt