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Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1A 2AH
Mrs L Johnson
OT4 2
Department of Trade Room 305
1 Victoria Street LONDON
Telephone 01- 233 4828
Your reference
Our reference
HKK 026/15
Date
10 December 1982
A
B
BRIEFING FOR MR REES' VISIT TO THE FAR EAST
1.
We spoke, and I agreed to provide a note on the Select Committee for Industry and Trade's complaint about the disclosure to the Hong Kong Government of the briefing by Lord Belstead. Mr Rees may wish to be aware of this.
2.
Lord Belstead, as the FCO Minister responsible for Hong Kong, briefed the Select Committee on 10 November. The main points which came up on Hong Kong, particularly concerning textiles, were passed on to Hong Kong and BTC Hong Kong in FCO telegram number 945 of 11 November.
3.
The existence and contents of this telegram were revealed when the Committee met Mr Dorward, Secretary of Trade and Industry, in Hong Kong. Some Committee members took exception
to private briefings being reported in this way. Sir Donald Kaberiy
(Chairman) smoothed matters over at the time, but wrote to Lord Belstead on 30 November, complaining about the disclosure.
4.
Lord Belstead replied on 3 December giving our understanding that the briefing session was personal and informal, and not subject to normal Select Committee rules of procedure. In fact, even if it had been a Select Committee evidence session, it would have been perfectly in order to have informed posts of the Committee's preoccupations. Lord Belstead nevertheless assured Sir Donald that no discourtesy to the Committee was intended.
Cc:
PS/Lord Belstead
Iden
Burten.
MTP Burton
Hong Kong and General Department
Miss JC Smith, PCCU, FCO
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