DD 080030Z HONG KONG
GRS 245
CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY 080030Z
FM FCO 071520Z JAN 85
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
TELEGRAM NUMBER 33 OF 7 JANUARY
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
2728 1
TOP COP
PUKK OTIT
- 9 JANVIE
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YOUR TELNOS 43 AND 44: WHITE PAPER ON THE FURTHER DEVELOPMENT OF
REPRESENTATIVE GOVERNMENT: CHIEF SECRETARY'S SPEECH
1.
WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING MINOR COMMENTS ON THE REDRAFT IN
SECOND TUR:
A) PARAGRAPH 3. IF YOU WISH TO SPECIFY THESE FOUR OBJECTIVES
WE FEEL THAT IT WOULD BE USEFUL TO INDICATE A GENERAL TIMEFRAME
FOR EACH OF THEM. THE FIRST TWO, FOR EXAMPLE, ARE CLEARLY LONG TERM ONES, WHILE THE THIRD IS SHORT-TERM, AND RELATES
SPECIFICALLY TO THE 1985 ELECTIONS. IN THE PRESENT CONTEXT THE
THIRD OBJECTIVE COULD BE TAKEN AS ONE FOR THE WHOLE PERIOD UP TO
1997. AN ALTERNATIVE APPROACH WOULD BE TO BRING THE OBJECTIVES
MORE DIRECTLY INTO LINE WITH THOSE IN PARAGRAPH 23.
B) PARAGRAPH 5. IN THE SECOND SENTENCE WE WONDER WHETHER YOU
MEAN ENABLE' OR 'ASSIST'.
1
C) PARAGRAPH 6.
WE THINK THE WORD 'SAFEGUARD' CARRIES A RATHE
DEFENSIVE SENSE IN THIS CONTEXT AND SUGGEST THAT THE SENTENCE BE
AMENDED TO READ
WHICH WILL PRESERVE AND ENHANCE THE
ESSENTIAL FEATURES
•
D) PARAGRAPH 15. AS THE GOVERNOR IS NOT A MEMBER OF EXCO WE SUGGEST THE THIRD QUESTION SHOULD BE AMENDED TO REFER TO HIS
POSITION 'IN RELATION TO' LEGCO AND EXCO.
E) PARAGRAPH 18. WE THINK THE BEGINNING OF THE LAST SENTENCE
IS SLIGHTLY GRUDGING. DEPENDING ON EMPHASIS, IT COULD CONVEY CONSIDERABLE DOUBT. WE SUGGEST THAT IT SHOULD START AT THIS
STAGE, HOWEVER, IT IS ESSENTIAL...'
HOWE
HONG KONG AGREEMENT
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
HD/PLANNING STAFF
HD/PUSD
DEP HD/PUSD
RESEARCH DEPT (MR WALKER) PS
PS/MR LUCE
PS/PUS
SIR W HARDING
COPIES TO: (VIA ADR)
MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT
MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR BURROWS, LEGAL ADVISERS
MR MARTIN, ASST STAFF CABINET
OFFICE
MR CARTLEDGE, CABINET OFFICE ER COLVIN, CABINET OFFICE SIR P CRADOCK, NO 10 DOWNING ST
MR WILSON
SIR J FREELAND
MR J CROWLEY, PUSE
CONFIDENTIAL