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CONFIDENTIAL
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From:
R M Marsden
Hong Kong Department
Date:
18 October 1989
23
33/10
CC:
Private Secretary
HKB 011 13
01113
3/11 من
PS/Mr Maude
HONG KONG: FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE
PS/PUS
Mr Gillmore
Mr McLaren
Mr Paul, HKD
Mr Holt, PRU
Mr Burns, News Dept
1. Mr Mark Hutton, the Assistant Clerk to the Foreign Affairs
Committee, telephoned this morning about the timing of our reply to
the FAC report on Hong Kong. I understand that Mr Maude is hoping
to speak to Mr Howell about this tomorrow evening.
2
Mr Hutton said that the Committee had discussed Hong Kong at
their meeting yesterday (the Committee's first meeting after the
summer recess). It remained the Committee's view that we should
delay our reply until we had something new and substantive to say.
But if it looked as if we were unlikely to be ready to reply for
some time, the Committee would prefer to have an interim reply in
mid November. If we expected to be able to announce details of our
nationality package by the end of November, however, the Committee
would be prepared to wait another few weeks. But in that case, it
would be advisable to write to the Committee explaining the reaons
for a further short delay. But it would be unfortunate if we wrote
to the Committee proposing to delay our reply until late November
and the reply were then to slip until the beginning of next year.
3. Mr Hutton said that if we submitted an interim reply in mid
November, the Committee would propose to invite an FCO Minister
(possibly Mr Maude) to give formal evidence in mid December. Since
the Secretary of State was already appearing before the Committee on
CONFIDENTIAL