CODE 18-77
SEPARATE COPIES:
COVERING CONFIDENTIAL Reference..
Mr D Fish, ODA
Mr Dew, RMD
FAXED 4/2/92 @1.00pm
TIMED
Miss Brooks, Legal Advisers -TIMED.
HONG KONG HMOCS ARRANGEMENTS
File
HKA 233/1
1.
The Secretary of State has agreed that we should seek to decouple compensation and sterling safeguards. I attach a draft minute from him to the Chief Secretary and would be grateful for your comments or clearance as soon as possible.
2.
The reference to sterling safeguards in the draft statement needs to strike a balance between our interest in not alarming and provoking HMOCS officers by implying that there may be no safeguard and the Treasury concern that we should not prejudice their position by implying that if all other options fail HMG would step in and accept the contingent liability to fund a safeguard. I should be grateful if Miss Brooks could consider this aspect particularly, bearing in mind the possibility of an application for judicial review.
Mos
N J Cox
Hong Kong Department
WH 302
270 2651
4 February 1992
NC2ABJ
COVERING CONFIDENTIAL
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