Mr Morris, NTCD Mr Parkinson, MVD
RESTRICTED
) separate copies
Reference.
IHKD 444/2
06 APR 1993
13
HONG KONG: TRANSFER OF PASSPORT AND IMMIGRATION WORK TO NEW CONSULATE GENERAL
1.
As you know, I visited Hong Kong last month. The MRS and I called on Mr Cheung, Director of Immigration. I understand that the MRS will be in touch with you separately to follow up various points which arose during the meeting. At the risk of duplicating anything which they may have sent you, I now enclose a paper which Mr Cheung handed to us "Proposed Schedule of Transfer of UK Related Functions to the Future Hong Kong British Consulate General".
2. You will see that dates in the "proposed transfer date" column start with April 1996. We explained to Mr Cheung that the Consulate General would not be ready for occupation by April 1996. We further explained that in planning at the FCO end we were looking at how long before 1 July 1997 we would need to prepare physically and in terms of staff to handle the work involved (rather than working forward from the completion date of the building). I believe we did get the message over although Mr Cheung was still very anxious to discover when the building would be ready for occupation. We agreed to take back Mr Cheung's paper to London where Hong Kong Government's proposals for the sequence for handover would be studied.
3. I do not want to cut across the study which the MRS already commissioned from you on how long you will need to be up and running in the new Consulate General, but clearly we will need to consider the sequence of transfer suggested in Mr Cheung's latest paper. Mr Rooney may well have something to add to the debate on his return from his overseas trip, where I understand he will be spending one day in Hong Kong. Perhaps we should put our heads together over an agenda on Mr Rooney's return. May I leave it to you to get in touch with
me.
nr Bannes Jones
BU 15 April
to Mr Bannes Jone
ヒ
CODE 18-77
Deborah Barnes Jones Hong Kong Dept. WH312 telno. 270.2068
2 April 1993
cc Mr Bennett MRS.
min.immigrat.NAT
JEB
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6/4.