Mr Paul, HKD
CONFIDENTIAL
Ако 34014
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
10 APR 1990
DES OFFICER
REGIS MY
INDEX
PA
Action Taken
Hong Kong
B
527/2
The following action points arose from the Secretary of State's meeting this morning.
(a) The joint letter from the Secretary of State and the Home Secretary to colleagues about the nationality package should issue as soon as possible. Mr Lidington is in touch with his opposite number in the Home Office about this.
ISSUED ?
(b)
Mr Maude would write a letter to Conservative colleagues ? on the same subject, including Party points.
(၁)
The Secretary of State would like to reply to the Home Secretary's letter about the Hong Kong Bill and say that he favours a short Bill; that we must aim to have Royal Assent before the end of July; and that he sees advantage in taking the Committee stage on the floor of the House as some MPs have asked.
(d) Thought needs to be given to ways of meeting Mr Kenneth Baker's desire for phasing/staging/delaying the issue of passports. The Secretary of State thought that it may be necessary to reveal the view taken in Cabinet that 25% of the passports should be held back until nearer 1997.
(e) The Chairman of the 1922 Committee wanted the Secretary of State and the Home Secretary to attend the forthcoming meeting of the Committee's Executive. He will be in touch with this office and we shall confirm that the Secretary of State will do so.
(f) As you already know from Mr Lidington's minute regarding the Secretary of State's meeting with Mr Peter Shore and Mr Merlyn Rees on 17 January, the Secretary of State needs to send a letter to Mr Shore.
(g) The Secretary of State would like a number of detailed examples of people who are contemplating emigration but who will stay in Hong Kong if they get a British passport under our proposed scheme. It was suggested that Mr Simon Murray might help with some of the private sector examples. Names would not be revealed publicly.
(h) We and the Hong Kong Government need to encourage key MPS from both sides of the House to visit Hong Kong. The Secretary of State was particularly keen that Alistair Burt should go.
JJUED?
underway
CONFIDENTIAL
/(i)