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330
HONG KONG DRAFT ORDER IN COUNCIL:
MEETINGS AT QAG WITH FCO AND
DELEGATION FROM HONG KONG, WEEK BEGINNING 29 JULY 1985
In attendance during the week J K Moore
>
J Pakenham-Walsh > A Holmes
>
Home Office
J Nicholson
J Emery
)
Miss Y Veale
)
J Powell
>
FCO
HKK 040/4
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
2 1 AUG 1985
J Grainger
Mrs R Ip
>
DESK OFFICER INDEX
REGISTAY
PA
Action Taken
S Kuo
)
Hong Kong
R Hoare
D Little
INTRODUCTION
1.
The purpose of the meetings was to discuss in detail Hong Kong's proposed
amendments to a draft Order in Council prepared by the Home Office, and related
matters.
TIMETABLE
2.
It was recognised that the timetable was governed by the Government's
commitment to make the Order by April 1986, so the timing of the various stages
necessary to get to that point needed to be worked backwards from that date. The
Home Office intended to propose to Ministers that the draft should be published in
a White Paper well in advance of the Parliamentary debates, to allow time for
opinion to formulate. Hong Kong's view was that the White Paper should also be
published in Hong Kong, and that sufficient time (ideally two months) should be
allowed for the people of Hong Kong to make their views on it known. With that in
mind the following timetable was agreed and later proposed to Ministers:
End September: publish White Paper
Second half November: first debates in Parliament
January: Order in Council laid
February: debates on affirmative procedure
Before Easter recess: Order in Council made
3.
To allow time to draft and clear the White Paper it would be important to
reach agreement on the draft Order during the week beginning 29 July so that the