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prerogative power amend, for operation in this country, Hon Kon Ordinance. He now wishes to consider the various provisions in the Order carefully, and also ret into touch with the Ministry of War Transport to find out exactly what they want. I cannot, therefore, promise that we shall have Parliamentary Councils observations in the very near future, he will do his best to expedite the matter.
but
30.3.42.
25. To Chorley w/endes. 26. Draft Order-in-Council
27 C.A.
A/1597
30-3-42
14-4-42
This file has just come tỏ light fter being missing for some time, and I have attached to it lir. Roberts-Tray's minute of 14th ril recording his discussion with Parliamentary Counsel on our proposed Temporary Frovisions Order i Council. The following are my comments on r. Roberts-Tray's points.
I have no observations.
Paragraph 2.
Paragraph 3. This is primarily for the Ministry of War Transport, with whom I see Parliamentary Counsel are raising the point. I have never felt particularly enthusiastic about the Kinistry of Jar Transport's contributions to the draft Order, and see no reason why we should not allow them to be omitted if the Ministry feel that this can be done after their discussion with Parliamentary Counsel.
Paragraph 4. It is not the fact that we propose to divert the monies in the Currency Fund to purposes for which they were not intended. It is our intention to maintain that Fund as cover for the Hong Kong currency against the day of reoccupation of the Colony. We were proposing to lay hands on the income of the Fund to meet the obligations of the Hong Kong Govt., and on that we have the precedent that the Hong Kong Govt. itself agreed to make substantial payments out of the income of the Fund to H.L.G. as a gift for war purposes, so that a diversion of the Fund has already been accepted as feasible by the, Govt. of Hong Kong. I confess that I see no hope of the Treasury making U.K. funds available to defray the expenses as Farliamentary Counsel suggested. It would open to them a considerable liability in that not only Hong Kong but the whole of Malaya, and by now I suppose most of the obligations of the Government of Burma, would be entitled to similar treatment, and in the latter cases where the money is available without diverting funds from the U.K. taxpayer I really see no grounds on which they should not be made available. No arrangement is being made at present on these lines as regards the Halay 3tates since, subject to any views of the Iaw Officers, it is intended to use the funds which are available here for such purposes as the Secretary of state considers necessary, and to
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