CONFIDENTIAL
157112
MDHOAN 1181
88
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELNO 460
OF 1010OOZ MARCH 92
HKA 233/
TOP COPY Q DIST?
MIPT
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR
HMOCS
Pa
ill3
PLEASE PASS FOLLOWING MESSAGE PERSONAL FROM LORD CAITHNESS
TO SIR DAVID FORD.
BEGINS
MUCH.
1. ON MY RETURN TO LONDON, I HAVE BEEN ABLE TO CATCH UP ON THE POSITION FOLLOWING AN EXCHANGE OF MINISTERIAL CORRESPONDENCE LAST WEEK ON THIS SUBJECT. WHEN I MET OFFICERS OF THE HMOCS ASSOCIATION ON 5 MARCH, I WAS NOT IN A POSITION TO TELL THEM
I AM GRATEFUL FOR THEIR UNDERSTANDING THAT THESE DIFFICULT QUESTIONS TAKE TIME TO RESOLVE AND FOR THEIR APPRECIATION THAT IT WOULD DO NO GOOD, FOR ANY OF THE PARTIES INVOLVED, FOR THERE TO BE PUBLIC CONTROVERSY. BUT IN THE LIGHT OF FURTHER MINISTERIAL EXCHANGES I CAN NOW BE A LITTLE MORE FORTHCOMING. I AM PLEASED TO TELL YOU THAT HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT HAVE NOW FORMULATED A PROPOSAL FOR A SCHEME PROVIDING ELEMENTS OF INCENTIVE AND COMPENSATION. WE LOOK FORWARD TO OPENING CONSULTATIONS ABOUT THIS WITH REPRESENTATIVES OF THE OFFICERS CONCERNED BEFORE EASTER. BEFORE THIS DECISION BECOMES PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE, WE NEED TO BRIEF THE CHINESE. THIS MAY BE A SENSITIVE SUBJECT WITH THEM, AND WE DO NOT WANT THEM TO REACT UNFAVOURABLY AS A RESULT OF PARTIAL OR MISLEADING PRESS REPORTS. I AM AWARE THAT THE HMOCS ASSOCIATION WILL HAVE ELECTIONS ON 26 MARCH AND I HOPE TO BE ABLE TO WRITE TO THE CHAIRMAN OF THE ASSOCIATION IN TERMS OF PARAGRAPH 3 ABOVE SHORTLY BEFORE THEN.
ENDS.
2.
SIGNED ORIGINAL FOLLOWS BY BAG.
HURD
1
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