CONFIDENTIAL
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OO TOKYO
GRS 179
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 25190OZ APR 84
TO IMMEDIATE TOKYO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 238 OF 25 APRIL
FOR SECRETARY OF STATE FROM MR LUCE
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HONG KONG TIMING OF DEBATE
MIKK040131
REDLIVED IN RE
27 APR 1934
जी
1.
THE WHIPS OFFICE HAVE AGREED THAT WE SHOULD GO FOR ̈A DEBATE FOR THE ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE, BUT ARE PROPOSING THAT IT SHOULD NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL 16 MAY.
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2. MY OWN VIEW IS THAT THIS IS LEAVING IT TOO LONG. INTEREST IN THE HOUSE IN YOUR STATEMENT IN HONG KONG HAS 30 FAR BEEN MUTED: THE ORAL QUESTION I TOOK THIS AFTERNOON ON HONG KONG DID NOT SPARK OFF MUCH
EXCITEMENT. IN ANOTHER 3 WEEKS, IT WILL ALL SEEM VERY STALE UNLESS, OF COURSE, THERE HAVE BEEN DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENTS IN THE INTERVAL.
3. AS AGAINST THIS, THE BUSINESS MANAGERS DO HAVE A REAL DIFFICULTY. THE NEXT 2 WEEKS ARE ALREADY OVERLOADED. MAKING TIME ON 3 MAY WOULD MEAN SHIFTING THE FINANCE BILL, AND THEY ARE UNDERSTANDABLY RELUCTANT TO DO THIS.
4. MY INTENTION, ASSUMING YOU AGREE, IS TO CONTINUE TO PRESS FOR THE 3 MAY SLOT, THOUGH I MAY NOT WIN. HOWEVER, I WOULD WELCOME YOUR VIEWS FOR RETURNING TO THE CHARGE, WHICH I WILL HAVE TO DO EARLY TOMORROW (THURSDAY) MORNING.
HOWE
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DISTRIBUTION
LIMITED
PARL UNIT
HEAD HKD
PS
PS/MR LUCE
COPIES TO
SIR P CRADOCK
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