visit to Hong Kong.
4.
The Jimmy Young programme is a jolly good vehicle for reaching housewives at home. It tends to get useful additional coverage in the press.
Sir G Howe had a discussion with Jimmy Young about events in the Soviet Union which went down well and my experience then was that the questioning was fair and open minded. In principle therefore I think that this would be a good medium on which to talk about the difficulties we face in Hong Kong.
5. The timing is clearly open to discussion. The Jimmy Young
programme takes place between 11am and 1.05 each day of the week.
The week of 6 November is a particularly difficult one, though it might be possible for the Secretary of State to appear on Tuesday
7 November. But if he were interested in principle, I would discuss the options further with the programme producers.
6.
Timing would need to take account of progress on the nationality package for Hong Kong, progress on the repatriation of non-refugees from the boat camps, the success or otherwise of the Royal visit on 8 - 10 November and perhaps too progress in negotiations with the Chinese at the JLG. But all these events
provide good material for discussion and it is important to get our views across to the British public. The Secretary of State might feel happier going on the air after a successful royal visit.
Andas Bann
R A Burns