DSR 11 (Revised)
DRAFT:
FROM:
minute/letter/teleletter/despatch/note
SECRETARY OF STATE
DEPARTMENT:
TEL. NO:
TYPE: Draft/Final 1+
Reference
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RT HON VISCOUNT WHITELAW MC CH MP
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LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL
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PRIVY COUNCIL OFFICE
LONDON
PRIVACY MARKING
CAVEAT....
.In Confidence
SUBJECT:
Copies to:
Attorney General
Sir R Armstrong
bcc:
Sir R Engle
Parliamentary
Counsel
You will remember that we spoke briefly in December about
the possible need for legislation on Hong Kong in the
Legislative programme for 1984-85.
We are now working for an initialled agreement with the
Chinese by the end of September. This will be followed
by a period of assessment of the acceptability of the
agreement to the people of Hong Kong and a debate in the
House of Commons, probably early in December.
undertaken to sign the agreement before the end of the
We have
year.
Enclosures-flag(s).
One of the factors in the negotiation is the date of
ratification of the agreement. The Chinese attach
considerable importance to early ratification, and
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