111831Z
SECRET
DENTP
FM SO
SECRET S
TO DESKBY 12010OZ HONG KONG
TELNO 018
OF 111610Z JAN 93
AMBaill
RECI
AND TO DESKBY 11183OZ SANTIAGO
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, UKREP JLG HONG KONGJA!' 1992
IN
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM, AUSS”
PEKING PERSONAL FOR AMBASSADOR
UKREP JLG PERSONAL FOR GALSWORTHY
SANTIAGO FOR PERSONAL FOR PRIVATE SECRETARY
(20) 92/HWB delz
YOUR TELNO 4
1.
pa
Consort Dept
24
TER COPY
M
12/1
**RY
EXCO AND YOUR CONSTITUTIONAL PACKAGE
THANK YOU FOR LETTING US KNOW HOW YOU PLAN TO HANDLE TOMORROW'S EXCO MEETING.
心
Mirr Sachde
ders
2. WE HAD AN OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS THIS WITH MR GOODLAD TODAY. HE SHARED OUR VIEW THAT IT WOULD BE VERY AWKWARD TO FIND OURSELVES CONFRONTED BY A UNANIMOUS VIEW AMONG EXCO UNOFFICIALS AT TOMORROW'S MEETING THAT YOU SHOULD AMEND YOUR PACKAGE BEFORE TABLING IN LEGCO. AS YOU SAY, ON AN ISSUE OF THIS SIGNIFICANCE IT WILL BE VERY IMPORTANT THAT IT IS EXCO'S PACKAGE. ON THE OTHER HAND, SIGNIFICANT AMENDMENT BEFORE TABLING WOULD BE OPEN TO CRITICISM HERE THAT YOU HAD MADE A U-TURN. WE IMAGINE THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE PRIME MINISTER WOULD WANT THE CHANCE TO CONSIDER THIS WHILE WE STILL HAD SOME OPTIONS OPEN.
3. WE NOTE THAT YOU TOLD
|THAT TOMORROW'S MEETING WOULD NOT NEED TO BE DEFINITIVE. WE THINK IT WOULD BE HELPFUL IF YOU COULD EMPHASISE THIS AT THE OUTSET OF THE EXCO DISCUSSION. THERE IS ALSO A CASE FOR YOUR SPELLING OUT TO EXCO RATHER MORE CLEARLY THAN YOUR DRAFT SPEAKING NOTE DOES THE DISADVANTAGES OF SIGNIFICANT AMENDMENT BEFORE TABLING. THAT SHOULD HELP TO AVOID ANY RISK OF A UNANIMOUS VIEW FORMING IN THAT DIRECTION, AND A CHANCE TO CONSIDER THE OPTIONS WITH MINISTERS IF A SIGNIFICANT MAJORITY SUPPORTED THAT VIEW.
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