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(a) the debate has not been postponed at the Government's
intiative. The intention of the postponement is to enable the Whip
to identify a time when the most MPs with an interest in Hong Kong
who wish to participate in the debate can do so;
(b) holding the debate in the autumn will also enable MPs to
take full account of the views expressed in Hong Kong during the
whole consultation period and thus to make a more informed and
effective contribution to consideration of the draft;
(c) a debate at that later time will have an equally strong
impact on the Basic Law drafting process. We understand that the Basic Law Drafting Commitee will reconvene in late September and be
revising the draft throughout the autumn with a view to producing a
new draft by the end of the year. There will still be ample time
for the views of MPs to be taken into account.
5. To play up differences between the Government and the Opposition over the timing of the debate would risk incurring the criticisms in Hong Kong that the political parties are scoring parliamentary points while the territory's future is at stake.
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CO Hum