From: The Rt Hon Dr David Owen MP
#K.
10 MAR 1983
194
HOUSE OF COMMONS
The Rt Hon Francis Pym MP
LONDON SWIA OAA
9 March 1983
1. Ack
2. HRGA f_aff righ
√-5/5 517/3.
Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1
منا
HAK 040/1
22 MAR 1983
Аргиз
Ex(195
Po/L_Belt O PS/POS 2 Donald.
ellios
I wonder if you could give me any information on how you intend to associate more closely the Hong Kong people with the negotiating process. I publicly welcomed the decision to ask some prominent figures representative of public opinion in Hong Kong over to Britain to discuss with the Prime Minister the situation prior to her visit, and I know that dialogue has continued in Hong Kong. But I suspect that as with the Falkland Islanders and the Belizeans, where I instituted specific procedures to establish confidence in the negotiating process, it will be necessary to carry Hong Kong opinion with us and some specific machinery for consulting them and keeping them in touch with the negotiations seems to be essential.
While on this subject I wonder also if you could give me any indication as to when you think you will be able to report back to Parliament on the progress of the negotiations.
David Owen