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FM: FCO
TO: ROUTINE CANBERRA
YOUR TELNO 279: AUSTRALIA CONSTITUTION ACT
DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)
In Confidence
1.
Ministers have closely re-examined the
question but the Prime Minister's conclusion
remains the same. We are still unable to accede
to the Australian request. The Prime Minister has
signed a letter to Mr McLeay conveying her
decision (copied to you by fax).
2. Besides passing this letter to McLeay, you may
also wish to inform the Australian Government that
a further review of this question has been made
but has not led us to revise the response give to
Mr Hawke in the Prime Minister's letter of 3
January 1988.
3. The arguments have not changed since the
question was last considered. In addition to the
argument about the comprehensiveness of our
archives (para 5 of tur), we believe that to meet
the Australian request would open the floodgates
to numerous requests from other Commonwealth
wea:
countries for the originals of documents relating
to their independence and pre-independence
legislation. The Indians are known to be