Mr Clift (HKGD) Mr Burns (SEAD) Mr Donald
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SELECT COMMITTEE ON INDUSTRY AND TRADE:
PROBLEM
1.
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VISIT TO ASEAN COUNTRIES
The Select Committee is to visit Malaysia, Singapore, Indonesia and Hong Kong between 12 and 25 November. How should we brief them?
RECOMMENDATION
(119
2.
I recommend that we should meet the Committee's request for written briefing on political, economic and commercial issues in our relations with the ASEAN countries to be visited, and on Hong Kong. I also recommend that they be given an oral briefing, concentrating on political issues, by Minister or Under-Secretary.
BACKGROUND
3.
The Committee's visit is in pursuit of their current enquiry into UK trade with ASEAN countries. They have considered written evidence from the DOT, to which TRED contributed a section on the export promotion function of diplomatic staff. They have taken oral evidence from the DOT at Ministerial level and from the SE Asia Trade Advisory Group.
4.
Their concern on this visit is to maximise UK trade with ASEAN; to consider any obstacles to that trade; and to consider what action HMG and British industry should take to facilitate trade. They were to revisit Hong Kong (they were there in 1980) to discuss current trade issues, including the Multi-fibre Arrangement.
5.
6.
Details of the party and their itinerary are annexed.
The Committee have asked for detailed written briefing on political, economic and commerical issues, to reach them by Monday 25 October. They also request an informal oral briefing shortly before departure. Our briefing should take account of posts' interest, though the programme in each country will include an early briefing by the Head of Mission(or the Trade Commissioner in Hong Kong). I have agreed with the DOT, who have been similarly approached, that they will contri- bute as necessary to what we are submitting, rather than provide separate briefings.
7.
The Committee would prefer to have the oral briefing on Wednesday 10 November. If Lord Belstead were to take this on I understand he could only do so on 11 November (at 5.30 pm) when some Committee members
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