GUINNESS PLC
RECEIV
LE PINIA SQUARE
TOLEN.
The Rt Hon Trefgarne
Minister for Trade
Department of Trade and Industry
1-19 Victoria Street
London SW1H OET
14 December 1989
L
No doubt you have had many representations on the issue : Hong Kong residents gaining the right to access to the UK, so I hope that you will forgive me for adding a viewpoint and a request from the Guinness Group.
You may be aware that we are by far the largest food and drink net exporter from the UK. In fact we are larger than the next two put together. Around one fifth of these exports go to South East Asia, our fastest developing and mcst profitable market for Scotch Whisky.
We organise our South East Asia operations from Hong Kong and we have several key managers in that operation whom we are in danger of losing as they contemplate taking
taking up residence in other countries to gain permanent resident status. You will know that a number of countries in the region are offering attractive inducements to professional managerial Hong Kong résidents. Additionally, we understand that French companies are able to offer French passports to key employees. Not having such a facility puts our business at risk as key employees leave and replacement at anything like the same quality becomes very, very difficult.
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