COMMITTEE OFFICE
HOUSE OF COMMONS
LONDON SWIA OAA
01-219
01-219 3000
(Direct Line) (Switchboard)
19 February 1987
DEFENCE COMMITTEE
I write following our conversation on the telephone this morning.
The Defence Committee would value the opportunity of an informal meeting with Sir David Wilson before he takes up his duties as Governor of Hong Kong in April. What we have in mind is an informal meeting of perhaps an hour's duration in one of the Committee Rooms at the House. The discussions would be private and off the record, although we would, if there were no objection, take a note for the Committee's private use.
You will recall that the Committee had a short but extremely useful visit to Hong Kong in December 1986; a visit which was overshadowed by the death of Sir Edward Youde. It is likely that the Committee will wish to visit Hong Kong again later this year in the context of their inquiry into the future of the Brigade of Gurkhas. At present I expect that we shall be in the Colony at about the first week of November.
It might be helpful if I were to suggest some dates:
Tuesday 3 March Tuesday 10 March Wednesday 25 March
at 1630 in each case.
Wednesday 18 March at 1630 might be a fourth possibility, although, it being in Budget week, Members may have made other plans.
Perhaps we might discuss this further next week.
Robert Rogers
Clerk to the Committee
Peter Bacon Esq
Parliamentary Relations Unit
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Downing Street West
Whitehall SWl