CODE 18-77 AWO Ltd. 7/84
CONFIDENTIAL
140
Reference..ETLANA.
SCORRI
MIC Leaks I
Mr Ehrman
appe Che 7/8. We Gown,
пескололу
Some CODED.
If they water down, the sof s' approval with be & we shall not be able to get HK to accept This will alonost certainly throw the timetable out. I VIETNAMESE REFUGEES: HMG'S REPLY TO SCORRI
suggest you scoate to
Mr Rawthone & impress these points. You mlak libot Office (2822 2648)
1. I spoke to Steve Wells at the Home today about the timetable for publication of the Home Office White Paper replying to SCORRI.
2. He said that the Home Office are aiming to publish the White Paper on 20 September. This means that their Parliamentary Unit will need to have the final text by Monday 2 September, ie allowing 3 full weeks for printing etc. Initially he asked if we could have our contribution ready by 15 August, so that he and Mr Rawsthorne could both look at it before they go on leave (they will both be away from then until about 9 September). After discussion with Mr Leeks, I told Mr Wells that we would find it very difficult to meet this deadline, partly because it would not allow time for us to submit the draft text to Ministers
text to Ministers (Mr Luce will not be back in the office until Tuesday 27 August). I said we would prefer to aim for Friday 30 August. Mr Wells, who had by then consulted further with Mr Rawsthorne, readily agreed to this (so readily, in fact, that I wonder how seriously the Home Office are taking the 20 September publication deadline .....).
3. I then rang Mr
Mr Carter, SEAD, and informed him of the above timetable. I said we would like to have SEAD'S contribution on recommendations 5(i) and (ii) and 6 by Friday 16 August, to allow time for consultation with Hong Kong and coordination of the various sections of our contribution.
Mr Carter agreed to aim for this
this date (but said it would be difficult because of Stephen Nash being away).
4.
The timetable is therefore as follows:
Friday 16 August: receive SEAD's contribution and have our own contribution drafted.
19 - 22 August: finalise draft, clear with Hong Kong etc, as necessary.
Dr
Friday 23 August: submit draft text to Mr Luce via or Wilson, in time for Mr Luce to consider when he returns from leave on Tuesday 27 August.
Friday 30 August: send final text to Home Office.
Friday 20 September: White Paper is published.
CONFIDENTIAL
MKK 243/2
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
09 AUG 1985
OFS CEL
INDEX
REGISTRY
Action Taken
7/8