CONFIDENTIAL
87
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HILIC 040 42451.- 1
съю
RECEIVED IN A
-14SEP 1984
OO PEKING
GRS 350
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO 101420Z SEP 84
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1830 OF 13 SEPTEMBER
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
INDEX
JAIL 19/94209.
YOUR TELNO 2618: FUTURE OF HONG KONG: ADMINISTRATION: TEST OF
ACCEPTABILITY
1.
WE ARE GENERALLY CONTENT WITH THE OUTLINE OF PROCEDURE OF
ASSESSMENT OFFICE IN TUR.
2.
WE HAVE DISCUSSED THE OUTLINE WITH SIR P NAIRNE, WHO FOUND
IT VERY HELPFUL TO SEE IT AT THIS STAGE. HE WAS IMPRESSED BY THE
THOROUGH CHARACTER OF THE PROCEDURE WHICH THE COMMISSIONER PLANS
TO ADOPT. WHILE RECOGNISING THAT IT WILL BE APPROPRIATE FOR THE
ASSESSMENT OFFICE TO ADOPT THE 'PASSIVE ATTITUDE' ENVISAGED, HE
IS ASSUMING THAT THE MONITORS FOR THEIR PART WILL NEED, AS PART
OF THEIR FUNCTION, TO BE REASONABLY ACTIVE IN WITNESSING ASPECTS OF THE CONSULTATION EXERCISE (AS PROVIDED FOR IN PARAGRAPH 3(B)
OF THE TEAM'S TERMS OF REFERENCE) IF THEY ARE TO BE IN A POSITION
TO PRODUCE A CREDIBLE REPORT ON HOW THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE HAS
PERFORMED ITS DUTIES, SETTING IT IN THE CONTEXT OF THE WIDER
EXERCISE OF EXPLAINING THE AGREEMENT AND SOLICITING OPINION ON
IT. SIR P NAIRNE IS LOOKING FORWARD TO DISCUSSING WITH MR
JUSTICE SIMON LI HOW IT WILL BE BEST FOR THE TEAM TO CARRY OUT
ITS ROLE AND ORGANISE ITS PROGRAMME OF WORK, AND ALSO ON
RECEIVING WHATEVER ADVICE YOU AND THE COMMISSIONER'S ASSESSMENT
OFFICE MAY CARE TO OFFER.
3.
FROM OUR DISCUSSIONS WITH SIR P NAIRNE, IT IS FAIRLY CLEAR
THAT WHAT HE HAS IN MIND IS THAT THE MONITORS' REPORT SHOULD,
PERHAPS IN ITS INTRODUCTION OR PREFATORY REMARKS, EXPRESS
APPROBATION OF THE THOROUGHNESS WITH WHICH THE ASSESSMENT WAS
CARRIED OUT, AND THE SUITABILITY OF THE METHOD CHOSEN IN THE
CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG, ASSUMING OF COURSE THAT THE MONITORS
FEEL THEY CAN HONESTLY DO THIS. THE SECRETARY OF STATE GAVE SIR P.
NAIRNE NO ENCCOURAGEMENT TO PURSUE THIS IDEA AND SIR PATRICK
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CONFIDENTIAL
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