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FM ECO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 827
OF 20180OZ APRIL 90
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021732 MDHOAN 7360
FROM HKD
YOUR TELNO 1099: IVORY PQS
1. WE AGREE THAT PQS 1723 AND 1737 RAISE QUESTIONS OF A
COMMERCIAL NATURE AND THAT IT WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE FOR US TO DISCLOSE THIS INFORMATION.
!
2. BUT OUR LEGAL ADVISERS ARE NOT SURE WHETHER WE CAN TO TAKE THE SAME LINE ON PQS 1722 AND 1725: THESE QUESTIONS RELATE TO THE CONTROL MECHANISMS YOU HAVE INSTITUTED AND THE INFORMATION SOUGHT MAY NOT BE PURELY COMMERCIAL IN NATURE. BEFORE TAKING A FIRM VIEW, HOWEVER, WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD LET US KNOW:
(A) ON WHAT LEGISLATIVE BASIS THE INFORMATION WAS SOUGHT
AND RECORDED. MAY WE SEE A COPY OF THE RELEVANT ORDINANCE OR SUBORDINATE LEGISLATION QUERY.
(B) WHETHER THE INFORMATION WAS GIVEN IN CONFIDENCE.
(C) WHETHER THE INFORMATION IS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC IN HONG KONG-
3. IF THE INFORMATION WAS GIVEN PURSUANT TO A CONTROL MEASURE AND WAS NOT GIVEN IN CONFIDENCE, WE MAY NOT BE ABLE TO REFUSE TO REVEAL IT IN ANSWER TO A PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION.
4.
HURD
GRATEFUL FOR A REPLY DESKBY 23090OZ.
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