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MDHOAN 2319
TO EITHER AN AFFIRMATIVE RESOLUTION OR A NEGATIVE RESOLUTION. FOR OBVIOUS REASONS A NEGATIVE RESOLUTION WOULD HAVE PRACTICAL ADVANTAGES: IT WOULD HELP TO ENSURE THAT LEGCO DID NOT WASTE TIME ON THOSE ORDERS WHICH IT DID NOT CONSIDER SIGNIFICANT, ENABLING IT TO CONCENTRATE ONLY ON THOSE WHICH GAVE RISE TO ISSUES OF PRINCIPLE. (A SPECIAL PROVISION WOULD PROBABLY BE DESIRABLE IN PLACE OF SECTION 34 OR 35 OF YOUR CAP.1).
4. IT MAY WELL BE THAT THIS OR SIMILAR IDEAS HAVE ALREADY OCCURRED TO YOUR LAWYERS. IN ANY CASE, I WOULD BE INTERESTED TO KNOW YOUR VIEWS ON A SOLUTION ALONG THESE LINES.
5. ON A SEPARATE BUT RELATED MATTER, IT HAS OCCURRED TO US THAT THERE MIGHT WELL BE VALUE IN AN FCO LEGAL ADVISER VISITING HONG KONG FOR TALKS WITH THE HONG KONG LAWYERS ABOUT THE DETAILS OF THE BILL OF RIGHTS. THIS IS LIKELY TO BE A MORE EFFICIENT AND PRODUCTIVE WAY OF CONDUCTING LEGAL EXCHANGES THAN BY MEANS OF
LONG AND COMPLEX TELEGRAMS AND FAXES. THE OBVIOUS CANDIDATE FOR SUCH A VISIT WOULD BE PAUL FIFOOT, BUT I UNDERSTAND THAT HIS OTHER COMMITMENTS WOULD PRECLUDE A VISIT THIS MONTH AND, IN ANY EVENT HIS CONSULTANCY WITH THE FCO DOES NOT PROVIDE FOR VISITS OVERSEAS. AN ALTERNATIVE WOULD BE JILL BARRETT, WHO HAS BEEN WORKING ON HONG KONG MATTERS, INCLUDING THE BOR. IN ANY CASE, ARRANGEMENTS WOULD NEED TO BE MADE PRETTY QUICKLY, GIVEN THE TIME PRESSURE AND OTHER FACTORS, SUCH AS LEAVE COMMITMENTS OVER THE SUMMER.
6.
GRATEFUL FOR YOUR VIEWS.
HURD
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MR MCLAREN
MR BURNS
MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MS BARRETT, LEGAL ADVISERS
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