TNAG-0045-FCO40-81-Britain-s-entry-into-EEC-effect-on-trade-with-Hong-Kong-1967 — Page 50

CONFIDENTIAL

Commonwealth Office

S.W.I.

4 July, 1967.

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I attach a copy of the first draft of the brief for the consultations on Britain and the E.E.C. with Hong Kong officials on 10 and 11 July.

Sir Arthur Snelling will hold a meeting in his office here at 3 p.m. on Thursday, 6 July, to finalise the draft. Departments to whom this letter is addressed are invited to send representaties to this meeting or, if they think this unnecessary, to let me have comments or clearance by telephone.

This draft is agreed only at departmental level in the Commonwealth Office, and we must therefore reserve our right to suggest amendments ourselves. We shall be making and circulating one addition - a new paragraph between the existing paragraphs 9 and 10, which will give the background to the Foreign Secretary's statement in EU and will point out the passage in paragraph 36 which covers Hong Kong.

When the final version is agreed, we propose to circulate it to the EURO Committee for information.

The consultations themselves will be held in the Ground Floor Conference Room in the Commonwealth office, Downing Street. We have reserved this for three sessions, beginning at 3 p.m. on 10 July and 10.30 a.m. and 3 p.m. on 11 July.

K. W. McQueen, Esq.,

Board of Trade,

S.W.1.

(J. M. Healey) Common Market Department

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Copy to:-

S. J. G. Cambridge, Esq., Foreign Office, S.W.1. G. R. Ashford, Esq., Treasury, S.W.1.

M. B. Casey, Esq., Department of Economic Affairs,

S.W.1.

A. J. Smith, Esq., Ministry of Agriculture,

Fisheries and Food, S..1.

W. S. Carter, Esq., Hong Kong Department,

Commonwealth Office, .W.1.

For Information:- C. W. Roberts, Esq., Cabinet Office, S.W.1.

CONFIDENT IAL