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a background note on the composition and functions of the Council and personality notes on members.
4. The following briefs (Nos 4 to 14) are devoted to individual issues. In each case the Points to Make are clearly divided into those to be made with the Governor and/or ExCo and those to be made
with other interlocutors.
5.
4).
The dominating topic will be representative government (Brief No
The period of public consultation on the Green Paper comes to an end on 30 September and it may be possible to anticipate the
The Minister will wish general thrust of the Survey Office report. to discuss with the Governor and ExCo the probable outcome of the review and in particular the handling of the issue of direct elections. Others whom he meets will want to give their views on direct elections and the question of "convergence" with the Basic Law; to question him on our contacts with the Chinese Government over these issues; and to seek reassurance that the views of the Hong Kong people will be properly taken into account.
6. The drafting of the Basic Law (Brief No 5) and progress in the implementation of the Joint Declaration (Brief No 6) will come up in discussion with the Governor and ExCo, and perhaps more widely too. A further group of issues are at present the cause of contention between HMG and the Hong Kong Government, but largely out of the public view. These are the renegotiation of the Defence Costs Agreement (Brief No 7), air services (Brief No 9) and potentially also defence and public order (Brief No 8).
7. The problem of Vietnamese refugees (Brief No 10) has been brought again to the forefront of public attention as a result of the renewed influx of arrivals, both directly from Vietnam and from China. Both ExCo and the Hong Kong public feel strongly that HMG
Briefs Nos 11 to are doing less than they should to help Hong Kong.
14 cover issues which are less immediately topical but may nonetheless be brought up with the Minister: defensive points are
included.
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