(HWB 14/34)
Reference.....
35
Mr. Gaminara
I have now made a preliminary perusal of the two memoranda submitted by Justice and the memoran- dum submitted by the Hong Kong Reform Club.
2. In my view these documents do not disclose a case for taking very strong action of disallowing the Ordnance but the memorandum the Hong Kong Branch of Justice does raise certain points which should be discussed with the Governor of Hong Kong with a view to the possibility of certain amendments being made to the Ordnance.
3. It will take some considerable time here to make detailed comments on the criticisms put forward by the Hong Kong Branch of Justice, then the memorandum and these comments will have to be forwarded to the Governor and again it will take some considerable time for the Attorney-General to submit his comments. In all, it might be several months before we would be in a position to inform Justice and the Reform Club of the amendments, if any, which it was proposed to make to the Ordnance. In these circumstances, I suggest that Justice and the Reform Club be informed that it is not considered that there is a case for disallowing this Ordnance but that discussions are to take place between the Office and the Governor of Hong Kong as regards certain of the matters raised in the memorandum by the H.K.Branch, The Reform Club ask specifically for the Ordnance to be disallowed, but Justice does not go quite so far and states only that the case for disallowance is a very strong one. However, the communication to Justice and the Reform Club could, I think, be in the same form.
4.
The Reform Club's communication is in them.
of a petition to H.M. The Queen and,unless the procedure has been changed recently, it should be submitted to the Palace. It is not a matter of such importance, in my view, as to require a formal submission and it be sufficient for a letter to be sent from the Private Office to H.M. Private Secretary. The Secretary of State's advice to Her Majesty should take the form that reply to the petition should be that "the petition has been laid before Her Majesty but the Secretary of State was unable to advise Her Majesty that the petition should be granted".
5. The answer to Justice will presumably have to wait until we are in a position to send an answer to the Reform Club, i.e. until a reply is received from the Palace.
6. Opposite is a draft letter which, if approved, could be sent to Justice. The reply to the Reform Club should presumably be sent to the Governor and
ould take the form, I suggest, of asking the Governor to inform the Chairman of the Reform Club that the Club's petition has been laid before Her Majesty and that the Secretary of State was unable to advise Her Majesty that the petition should be grapted; and thin as in last to frother.
draft litty
pangordyft
(A. Grattan-Bellew 29 January, 1968
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