CONFIDENTIAL
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STRAIGHT, PERHAPS BOTH BY SPEAKING PERSONALLY TO LYDIA DUNN AND
IN DUE COURSE BY SPEAKING ON THE RECORD IN EXCO. WE SUGGEST YOU
SAY THAT IN HER TALKS IN THE FCO MS LAU TOOK THE INITIATIVE IN
RAISING THE QUESTION OF ADVICE ALLEGEDLY GIVEN BY EXCO OVER THE
THREE LEGCO DEMANDS. SHE ASSERTED THAT EXCO
HAD ADVISED HMG THAT MEETING ANY TWO OF THE THREE DEMANDS WOULD
BE ENOUGH. MS LAU WAS GIVEN A CATEGORICAL DENIAL. IT WAS MADE
QUITE CLEAR TO HER THAT NO SUCH ADVICE HAD BEEN OFFERED TO LONDON
BY EXCO MEMBERS, EITHER COLLECTIVELY OR INDIVIDUALLY.
4.
WE THINK THE MATTER SHOULD ALSO BE TAKEN UP WITH MS LAU.
NOT ONLY DID SHE APPARENTLY DISTORT WHAT WAS SAID TO HER IN
LONDON, BUT SHE BROKE THE AGREEMENT THAT NOTHING IN WHAT WAS SAID
TO HER SHOULD BE MORE PRECISELY ATTRIBUTED THAN TO QUOTE THE
LONDON VIEW UNQUOTE. WE SHALL NEED TO CONSIDER CAREFULLY WHETHER
MS LAU SHOULD BE GIVEN THE SAME ACCESS WITHIN THE FCO AGAIN. WE
SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD LET US HAVE A TRANSCRIPT OF WHAT
WAS ACTUALLY SAID IN THE RADIO PROGRAMME.
YOUNG
LIMITED
HKO
NEWS O
INFO.D.
PSIMR RENTON SIR W HARDING DR. WILSON.
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CONFIDENTIAL