CONFIDENTIAL
The Secretaries
Cabinet Committee on Immunitites
and Privileges
Cabinet Office
Dear Sirs,
Fille
(82
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
9 November 1984
HKK 040/53
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
0 9 NOV 1984
DESK OFFICER
REG KY
INDEX
PA
Action Taken
HONG KONG AGREEMENT: LEGISLATION ON PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES
FOR JOINT LIAISON GROUP
1. We have the following comments on Mr Mason's letter of 8 November to you (ref P5/143/84).
(a) We plan to legislate only to provide privileges and
immunities for the five Chinese members of the Joint Liaison Group while in London, as stated in paragraph 2 of the paper.
We are
therefore seeking tax exemption for representatives of HMG when in London. As Mr Mason correctly points out, the words "as appropriate" were included in paragraph 10 of Annex II for this reason.
(b)
A Hong Kong Government official will almost certainly serve as a member of the British delegation to the Joint Liaison Group. We are not, however, seeking immunities and privileges for this official in London as he will be a member of the UK delegation.
(c) Our thinking on the supporting staff for the Joint Liaison
Group is at an early stage, and will depend on our discussions with the Chinese. As we are not required to legislate to cover their case we are not asking the Committee to consider how we
should handle the matter at this stage.
2.
I have discussed these points with Mr Mason on the telephone and I understand that in light of these explanations we can take it that the Inland Revenue is content with the FCO note.
Yours faith fully
Jex Rill
J N Powell
Hong Kong Department
CC:
N H Mason, Inland Revenue, Policy Division, Somerset House,
LONDON WC2R 1LB
CONFIDENTIAL
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