CODE 18-77 AWO Ltd.
7/84
HKK040/15
Reference.
HKKONLY15 Briefing the pa
1985
Circulation list attached
COMMONWEALTH PARLIAMENTARY ASSOCIATION:
HCA 022/6
Th
Poured Mr Beof to ir
my Leeks
Grateful for drafts of u/c + classified briefs The clamafed one might contace to to make on refugees + BN (0) passports
BN(0)
ANNUAL CONFERENCE
30%
1. The 1985 Annual Conference of the CPA will be held in Saskatchewan from 30 September to 12 October. Baroness Young will lead the UK Delegation listed at Annex A. The purpose of this minute is to commission briefs on all Agenda items (except those marked "CPA") and on the other subjects listed in Annex B. Those marked as responsible for briefs on Agenda items have already been forewarned by Mr Edgerton. Any suggestions for additional background briefs will be welcome.
2. CPAAC's are gatherings at which Commonwealth Parliamentarians exchange views on political, economic and other subjects of mutual interest. No resolutions are passed and no communiqué is issued. These meetings provide an opportunity for our MPS to explain the British point of view on current problems to over 200 other Parliamentarians from a wide selection of developed and developing Commonwealth countries. The UK delegation has always been one of the best informed, and more attention is paid to our members' speeches than most. They speak as individual Parliamentarians, but on the whole an esprit de corps prevails on the more important issues and the facts of the Government's position, and arguments to support it, are generally well used by delegates.
3.
All members of our delegation will need unclassified briefs as indicated at Annex B. All briefs should contain general background information (not "Line to Take"). They should be concise, but delegates are not necessarily well informed on all topics and it is, therefore, necessary to include a certain amount of basic material in the briefs to enable our delegates to participate effectively in debates. The briefs will also be made available to delegates from legislatures of the Channel Islands and the Isle of Man.
4.
Briefs on Parliamentary subjects will be commissioned by the Clerk of the House. Otherwise we rely on FCO (ODA and Diplomatic Wing Departments) to coordinate briefs and to liaise as necessary with other interested Whitehall Departments both for classified and unclassified briefs. At yesterday's preliminary briefing meeting, for example, one MP sought and received confirmation that the brief for the 4th Plenary item (Debt crisis) would include a Treasury input.
5. In addition to the briefing provided for all members of the Delegation, the Delegation leader will require a certain number of classified briefs for her use as background in debates, for bilateral discussions and, selectively, to brief members of the Delegation. I should be grateful if you would prepare classified briefing material for Lady Young as you deem necessary for these purposes. The classified briefs should be in the form of "Line to Take" (pink) and, if the unclassified basic brief is insufficient,
/Essential