CONFIDENTIAL
7. If we can agree to this procedure I think there would be advantage in communicating our agreement to Mr Healey as quickly as possible, in order to avoid any further head of steam building up on the subject.
8.
Finally it would help to avoid undue speculation in Hong Kong if, when you make your business statement later today it were possible to make clear that the postponement of the committee stage is not to be a long one. I hope it will be possible for you to indicate that the expected date for the committee stage would be in the week beginning 4 February.
9.
I am copying this minute to Willie Whitelaw, Leon Brittan and John Cope.
(GEOFFREY HOWE)
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
24 January 1985
CONFIDENTIAL
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MARIAN, PAIEŠ