CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 10100OZ FCO
TELNO 1033
OF 10090OZ MARCH 88
INFO
IMMEDIATE PEKING
CONFIDENTI
HKB O4
11 MAR 1988
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
89
176022
MDHIAN 1359
MIPT: CONSOLIDATED FUND DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS
1. HUM TOOK MADAM ZHANG YOUYUN ASIDE BEFORE THIS MORNING'S JLG
SESSION AND TOLD HER OF THE PLANNED DEBATE. HE EMPHASISED THE
FOLLOWING POINTS:
(A) THE DEBATE ON THE CONSOLIDATED FUND WAS AN OCCASION WHEN BACK-BENCHERS BALLOTTED TO RAISE SUBJECTS OF THEIR CHOICE. HMG
HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE ISSUES RAISED. IT WAS CERTAINLY NOT
HMG'S WISH TO HAVE THE BASIC LAW DEBATED:
(B) THE DEBATE WAS LIKELY TO TAKE PLACE DURING THE NIGHT AND TO BE THINLY ATTENDED. IT WOULD PROBABLY AROUSE LITTLE INTEREST IN THE UK, ALTHOUGH THE HONG KONG PRESS WOULD BE BOUND TO FOCUS
ON IT:
·
(C) OUR INTENTION WAS TO HANDLE THE ISSUE IN A LOW KEY AND
UNCONTROVERSIAL WAY WE WOULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW LAY WITHIN THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE PRC.
2.
ALL THIS CAME AS NEWS TO MADAM ZHANG. SHE ASKED A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS (''WHAT IS THE CONSOLIDATED FUND'') BUT OTHERWISE DID NOT COMMENT. ALTHOUGH SHE SAID SHE WOULD IMMEDIATELY REPORT TO KE, HE DID NOT (NOT) RAISE IT WITH MCLAREN, EITHER ACROSS THE TABLE IN THE JLG OR IN THE MARGINS.
FORD
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CONFIDENTIAL