The Rt Hon David Waddington Esq QC MP
Home Secretary
HONG KONG ASSURANCES
Ussay
034
Thank you for your letter of 31 January. I am glad that the discussions with the Hong Kong Government are/generally going well. I hope that further progress will, be made during the current visit whit
are making
by Home Office and FCO officials to Hong Kong.
It will not be easy to square the circle over numbers. It is already clear that it will not be possible to accommodate existing holders of assurances (with sufficient people in the disciplined services and elsewhere in the public service within the 50,000,
while still maintaining our preferred 2:1 ratio between the private
and public sectors.
vertheless agree that we must stick to the
50,000 heads of household figures The opponents of the Bill would quickly seize on and exploit any indications that 50,000 was not a
night
shohlch limit. The solution may be to modify the ratio, but we may be in a better position to take a/view on that when officials have returned
from Hong Kong.
I neve
I have taken note of your comments on the approved secondment scheme and on the question of eligibility. I shall await with interest officials recommendations on these points.
minute
I am copying this letter to the Prime Minister and other members
of OD(K), the Secretary of State for Employment, the Attorney General, the chief Whip, Sir Percy Cradock and Sir Robin Butler.
DOUGLAS HURD
FIRAAJ