GRS 1450
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 248
OF 23084OZ JANUARY 86
HKM 040/4
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
23 JAN 1986
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
W
REGISTRY
Action Taken
D
162
TOP COPY
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON,
PEKING
HOUSE OF LORDS DEBATE ON NATIONALITY: MEDIA COVERAGE ON 22
JANUARY.
COVERAGE
THE HOUSE OF LORDS DEBATE ON THE DRAFT HK (BRITISH) NATIONALITY ORDER WAS GIVEN GOOD COVERAGE BY THE MEDIA AND WAS THE LEAD LOCAL STORY IN MANY PAPERS. MOST PAPERS NOTED IN HEADLINES THAT ALL THE PEERS WHO SPOKE DURING THE DEBATE SUPPORTED THE THREE
REQUESTS MADE BY LEGCO.
SOME PAPERS NOTED PROMINENTLY THAT SENIOR LEGCO UNOFFICIAL LYDIA DUNN SAID SHE WAS SATISFIED WITH THE OUTCOME OF THE DEBATE AS THE PEERS HAD REFLECTED LEGCO'S VIEWS.
SEVERAL PAPERS NOTED IN SUB-HEADLINES THAT FORMER GOVERNOR LORD MACLEHOSE STRONGLY SUPPORTED LEGCO'S REQUESTS IN HIS SPEECH.
THE ENGLISH PRESS GAVE PROMINENT COVERAGE TO THE DEBATE, WITH THE POST RUNNING EXTRACTS FROM SEVERAL OF THE SPEECHES.
THE POST SAID MINORITY GROUPS IN HK HAD ACCUSED ANGLO-HK PARLIAMENTARY GROUP CHAIRMAN SIR PETER BLAKER OF MISLEADING THEM AT A MEETING BEFORE THE COMMONS DEBATE AT WHICH HE INDICATED HE WOULD SUPPORT THEIR CALL FOR THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN THE UK. GROUPS LEADERS SAID THEY WERE SURPRISED BY THE TONE OF SIR PETER'S SPEECH IN THE DEBATE AND FELT HE HAD LET THEM DOWN BY FOLLOWING
THE GOVERNMENT LINE ON ETHNIC MINORITIES.
THE STANDARD GAVE PROMINENCE TO CRITICISM OF THE LORDS DEBATE BY LEGCO UNOFFICIAL DESMOND LEE, WHOSAID HE FELT LEGCO SHOULD HOLD ANOTHER ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON BRITAIN'S DECISON NOT TO GRANT
HK'S REQUESTS ON NATIONALITY.
PUBLIC REACTION:
SENIOR EXCO UNOFFICIAL SIR S.Y. CHUNG SAID THE LORDS WERE MORE SYMPATHETIC WITH HK PEOPLE THAN WERE THE COMMONS. WE WOULD PURSUE THE ISSUE WITH FCO MINISTER TIMOTHY RENTON WHEN HE ARRIVED HERE FOR
AN OVERNIGHT VISIT TOMORROW.
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