CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO TELELETTER F CO TELELETTER NFR
OF 22111OZ MAY 92
CONFIDENTIAL
HKA 440/1
245
26
033607
MDTTAN 9386
VTC. Miss Brooks,
Legal Counsellor
FOLLOWING FOR:
M. V. STONE ESQ., HONG KONG DEPARTMENT, FCO
FROM:
J
M. SHANNON, SECURITY BRANCH, HONG KONG
FILE REF:
'and'
shd not
OFFICIAL SECRETS ACT 1989: DRAFT ORDER
21
THANK YOU FOR YOUR FAX LETTER OF 21 MAY, WITH ATTACHED AMENDED DRAFT ORDER.
2.
14.
3.
WE CAN ACCEPT THE COMMA IN SECTION 15, RENUMBERED AS SECTION
WE HAVE NOTICED A VERY MINOR DISCREPANCY BETWEEN SCHEDULE TWO (THE TEXT) AND SCHEDULE ONE (THE AMENDMENTS). IN SCHEDULE TWO SECTIONS 3(5) BETWEEN (A) AND (B) THERE OCCURS THE WORD QUOTE AND UNQUOTE. THIS WORD DOES NOT OCCUR IN THE AMENDMENT IN SCHEDULE ON in schedule RELATING TO SECTION 3(5). WE DO NOT KNOW IF THIS IS IMPORTANT,
two.
BUT CONSIDERED THAT WE SHOULD BRING IT TO YOUR ATTENTION.
be there
500 later Febeletter
$ 25/5
MONDAY
4. AS REGARDS THE TIMING OF THE NEWS OF THE ORDER BECOMING PUBLIC KNOWLEDGE, WE WOULD PREFER THAT IT REMAINS CONFIDENTIAL UNTIL AFTER THURSDAY 8 JUNE, AS WE PLAN TO NOTIFY EXCO THAT MORNING AND OMELCO MEMBERS EARLY THAT AFTERNOON OF DETAILS AND MAKE A PRESS STATEMENT AT ABOUT 4.00 P.M. HONG KONG TIME THAT AFTERNOON. IF THE PRIVY COUNCIL SECRETARIAT COULD WITHHOLD DETAILS FROM JOURNALISTS UNTIL 8 JUNE, WE WOULD BE VERY GRATEFUL. WE DO HOWEVER HAVE A CONTINGENCY PLAN IN CASE A LEAK OCCURS. PRIOR TO 4 JUNE WE INTEND TO SAY THAT WE HAVE NOT RECEIVED CONFIRMATION OF THE FIRM DATE THAT THE PRIVY COUNCIL WILL
g CONSIDER THE ORDER. BETWEEN 4 JUNE AND JUNE WE WILL SAY THAT WE WILL BE MAKING A PRESS STATEMENT ON JUNE, BUT OTHERWISE HAVE NO COMMENTS.
5.
FINALLY, GRATEFUL IF YOU WILL SEND A TELEGRAM AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER THE PRIVY COUNCIL HAS MET CONFIRMING THAT THE
1
PAGE
CONFIDENTIAL
HK will amend to :
We understand that the
Privy Council will meet on 4 June but we do not have confirmation that they will consider the Order on that date
•
(H'K'
amenduet