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MDLIAN 0611

WILL REQUIRE AMENDMENTS TO SECTIONS 22, 31(1) AND 32(1) OF THE ORDINANCE AND REGULATION 6(1) OF THE POST OFFICE REGULATIONS.)

(E) WHERE THE PHRASE ANY POSTAL AUTHORITY, BRITISH OR FOREIGN' APPEARS, DELETE THE WORDS 'BRITISH OR FOREIGN AS BEING UNNECESSARY. (THIS WILL REQUIRE AMENDMENTS TO SECTIONS 7(4), 31(1), 31(2), 32(1) AND 36(1).)

(F) WHERE THE PHRASE 'FORFEIT TO THE CROWN' IS USED IN SECTION 32(5), DELETE THE WORDS 'TO THE CROWN' AS BEING UNNECESSARY.

(G) REMOVE THE WORD 'BRITISH' FROM THE PHRASE 'BRITISH POSTAL ORDERS' IN REGULATION 20 OF THE POST OFFICER REGULATIONS.

CONCLUSION

4. APART FROM THE PROPOSALS ABOVE, WE ACKNOWLEDGE THAT FURTHER ADAPTATIONS OF THE POST OFFICE ORDINANCE WILL BE REQUIRED. HOWEVER, THEY WILL CONSIST MOSTLY OF CHANGES OF TERMINOLOGY WHICH CANNOT TAKE EFFECT UNTIL 1 JULY 1997. EXAMPLES ARE THE REFERENCE TO THE GOVERNOR IN COUNCIL' IN SECTION 3 OF THE ORDINANCE AND THE REFERENCE TO THE GOVERNOR' IN SECTION 13(1). IN THE VIEW OF THE BRITISH SIDE, SUCH ADAPTATIONS CAN CONVENIENTLY BE DEALT WITH ALONG WITH SIMILAR ADAPTATIONS OF OTHER ORDINANCES IN A

'MIDNIGHT' ADAPTATION PACKAGE AT A LATER STAGE. SUCH A PACKAGE WOULD BE THE SUBJECT OF SEPARATE CONSULTATION WITH THE CHINESE

SIDE.

ENDS

PATTEN

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

54

DISTRIBUTION

55

.HONG KONG AGREEMENT

. (RESTRICTED)

HKD

PUSD

FED//HD

NEWS D

PLANNERS

RAD

PS/MR GOODLAD

SIR J COLES

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