CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TELNO 327
OF 04170OZ FEBRUARY 88
INFO PRIORITY PEKING
aci
CONFIDENTIAL
TOP COPY a DIST
HUMBoull
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·5 FEB 1988
040701
MDHOAN 8090
YOUR TELNO 74 TO HKGO:
REPRESENTATIVE
GOVERNMENT:
WHITE PAPER
WE SHOULD LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING IN PREPARATION FOR PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER.
1.
2.
MINISTERS WILL ANSWER AN INSPIRED WRITTEN PQ ON 10 FEBRUARY TO INFORM PARLIAMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER AND ITS MAIN DECISIONS. WE WILL PLACE COPIES OF THE PAPER IN THE LIBRARIES OF BOTH HOUSES. IN ADDITION MINISTERS ARE CONSIDERING INFORMAL BACKGROUND BRIEFING OF KEY BACKBENCHERS.
3.
WE ARE ALSO CONSIDERING WHETHER BACKGROUND PRESS BRIEFING SHOULD BE VOLUNTEERED. IN ANY EVENT WE ARE BOUND TO RECEIVE QUERIES FROM THE PRESS. IT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL IF YOU WOULD TELEGRAPH US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE A COPY OF ANY BRIEFING MATERIALS YOU MAY HAVE PREPARED, TOGETHER WITH AN ADVANCE TEXT OF THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S STATEMENT (PARA 2 OF TUR REFERS).
HOWE
YYYY
DISTRIBUTION
50
ΜΑΙΝ
49
HONG KONG AGREEMENT RESTRICTED
LIMITED
HKD
HD/FED
RESEARCH (FE)
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR EGGAR
PS/PUS
MR MCLAREN
MR GILLMORE
PUSD
ADDITIONAL
1
MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS
NNNN
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CONFIDENTIAL