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exemption from taxation and customs duties.
Although we cannot
This paragraph is unlikely to be controversial.
rule out objections to the resulting increase in the number of persons in London enjoying privileges and immunities, Ministers can reasonably point out that it only amounts to an increase of five.
Moreover the individuals concerned are likely to be in London for
only a few days a year.
It might be suggested that we could have
have fulfilled our obligations
under Annex I I simply by requesting that the Chinese should attach
their members of the Joint Liaison Group to the Chinese Embassy in
London. If however the Chinese were to refuse then we would not be
able to fulfil our obligations under Annex II. The only safe way to
proceed therefore is to legislate to cover this case.
Liaison Group could not be covered under the International
Organisations Act 1968 because it is neither an international
organisation (Section 1) nor an international conference (Section
6).
The Joint
This paragraph of the Bill will provide all the privileges and immunities of the person, including inviolability of all papers they
carry with them, etc as well as enabling the Secretary of State to issue conclusive certificates on any fact relevant to privileges and
immunities. We would expect the Chinese delegation
to the Joint
Liaison Group to be based at the Chinese Embassy in London, and so
their archives kept at the Embassy, and their communications through the Embassy's facilities would be covered by the privileges
and immunities enjoyed by the Embassy.
ΙΙ
immunities
to
We will however wish to
The Bill does not deal with the status of experts who are not
members of the Group, or supporting staff. Annex II provides for each side to send up to 20 supporting staff. There is no obligation
on us in the
to agreement
provide privileges and
anyone other than members of the Group.
ensure that any British staff sent to Peking enjoy appropriate
expect the Chinese to ask for reciprocal however be the subject of discussions with
immunities, and we can
arrangements. This can
the Chinese and need not require legislation.
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