CONFIDENTIAL
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DD 080030Z HONG KONG
GRS 271
CONFIDENTIAL
FUTURE EGRET
DESKBY 080030Z
FM FCO 071710Z JAN 85
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 34 OF 7 JANUARY
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM, HKD
HKCK 040/2
CS JAN 1985
YOUR TELNO 40: FUTURE EGRET: HONG KONG BILL: INTRODUCTION
1.
W
808/1
WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO MINISTERS THAT IF APPROVED BY THE LEGISLATION COMMITTEE FOR IMMEDIATE INTRODUCTION THE HONG KONG BILL COULD BE GIVEN ITS FIRST READING AS EARLY AS THURSDAY 10 JANUARY. FIRST READING, AS YOU KNOW, IS SIMPLY A FORMAL OCCASION ON WHICH THE TITLE OF THE BILL IS READ. WE HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT PUBLICATION OF THE TEXT OF THE BILL SHOULD BE DELAYED UNTIL NOON ON FRIDAY 11 JANUARY TO ALLOW YOU TO BRIEF
UMELCO CONFIDENTIALLY ON THE BILL IN GENERAL AND ITS NATIONALITY PROVISIONS IN PARTICULAR JUST BEFORE PUBLICATION. THE INTERVAL BETWEEN FIRST READING AND PUBLICATION COULD NOT, WE FEAR, BE ANY
LONGER.
2.
WE WILL TELEGRAPH THE FINAL TEXT OF THE BILL TO YOU AFTER ITS CONSIDERATION BY MINISTERS ON WEDNESDAY 9 JANUARY, TOGETHER WITH CONFIRMATION OF THE PROPOSED TIMING. IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL WE COULD TELEPHONE THIS CONFIRMATION TO YOU TO ALLOW YOU TO INFORM
EXCO AND PUT IN HAND ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE UMELCO BRIEFING ON
11 JANUARY.
3.
WE ASSUME THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE SUFFICIENT MATERIAL TO BRIEF UMELCO ON THE BILL. IN ADDITION TO THE MATERIAL IN OUR TELNO 23 YOU MAY ALSO DRAW ON PARAS 1-3 OF THE SEPARATE TELEGRAM WHICH
WE ARE SENDING TODAY IN RESPONSE TO YOUR TELNO 17.
4. YOU SHOULD EMPHASISE THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE BRIEFING, AND MAKE IT CLEAR THAT NO LEAKS ON THE CONTENT OF THE BILL SHOULD
PRECEDE ITS PUBLICATION. THESE COULD CAUSE CONSIDERABLE
EMBARRASSMENT WITH PARLIAMENT.
HOWE
LIMITED
HD/HKD
HD/FED
MR WILSON
SIR W HARDING
COPIES TO:-
SIR P CRADOCK
MR FIFOOT LEGAL ADVISERS ME BURROWS
LEGAL ADVISERS
CONFIDENTIAL
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