SECRET
FM HONG KONG
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELNO 760
OF 111115Z MARCH 92
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низ
431
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Mr Sox m Mr Stor
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162237 MDLIAN 0811
PERSONAL FOR BURNS, AUSS.
YOUR TELNO 461: HONG KONG BUDGET
FROM GOVERNOR
Mü
"I will mark
Comm
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reftel
Spec
I UNDERSTAND THAT THIS YEAR WE DID WHAT WE HAVE DONE FOR MANY YEARS, I.E. SEND A COPY OF THE BUDGET SPEECH BY BAG, MARKED TO BE OPENED BY THE HEAD OF HKD ONLY ON THE DAY THE BUDGET IS PRESENTED. BECAUSE BAG SERVICES ARE NOT THAT FREQUENT THESE DAYS THAT APPARENTLY MEANT THAT YOU RECEIVED YOU COPY ONLY ON THE AFTERNOON OF 4 MARCH ALTHOUGH IT WAS DISPATCHED FROM HERE ON 2 MARCH.
2. THE HIGHLIGHTS WERE A NEW IDEA PRODUCED FOR USE LOCALLY.
3.
IF WE CONTINUE WITH THE PRACTICE OF HIGHLIGHTS NEXT YEAR, I SEE NO PROBLEM IN SENDING YOU A COPY TO REACH YOU BY START OF PLAY YOUR TIME ON THE DAY THE BUDGET IS PRESENTED HERE.
4.
I DO NOT HOWEVER SEE A GOOD CASE FOR CHANGING THE LONG ESTABLISHED PRACTICE OF HANDLING THE BUDGET ITSELF. HONG KONG WORKS OUT ITS OWN BUDGET AUTONOMOUSLY. IN BOTH REVENUE AND EXPENDITURES THIS AUTONOMY IS LONG ESTABLISHED AND IMPORTANT TO PRESERVE. SENDING A COPY IN ADVICE WOULD INEVITABLY ERODE THE PRINCIPLE OF AUTONOMY THE MORE SO IF WHITEHALL DEPARTMENTS ARE DISPOSED TO COMMENT CRITICALLY ON THE CONTENT. FURTHERMORE, LIKE ALL GOVERNMENTS WE TRY TO KEEP REVENUE PROPOSALS TO THE SMALLEST POSSIBLE NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN ADVANCE OF PUBLICATION. NOTHING SHOULD BE DONE TO ERODE EITHER OF THESE PRINCIPLES WITHOUT VERY GOOD REASON.
5.
IT IS HARD TO SEE THAT THERE ARE PRESSING ARGUMENTS FOR CHANGE. WE WOULD NOT EXPECT IMMEDIATE, OR INDEED ANY, FAVOURABLE COMMENTS BY HMG ON THE HONG KONG BUDGET. NOR ARE ANY CALLED FOR. HOW YOU BRIEF MINISTERS MUST OF COURSE BE A MATTER FOR YOU. BUT IT IS HARD TO SEE THAT ADVANCE NOTICE OF THE BUDGET CONTENTS WOULD MAKE ANY DIFFERENCE TO THE SORT OF BRIEFING YOU MIGHT WISH TO GIVE.
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