TNAG-0094-FCO40-130-Control-of-immigration-into-UK-from-Hong-Kong-1968 — Page 17

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HWB 18/69

letter

Sir George Sinclair, C.M.G.,

O.B.E., M.P.,

10/2/1

You spoke to me about a letter sent by

Mr. M.H. Jackson-Lipkin on 19th September to the Home Office,

and later sent me the enclosed letter from him dated 13th

November.

&

I think my best course will be to deal with the

points raised in Mr. Jackson-Lipkin's two letters and to

ask you to pass on what I say to him, and for this purpose

I am enclosing a copy of this letter. I agree, incidentally,

that it would have been better to have replied to Mr. Jackson-

Lipkin more fully than was done in the Home Office letter of

9th October and I am sorry about this.

As regards the attitude of the Immigration

Department in Hong Kong, it is of course a department of the

Hong Kong Government to which we have delegated authority

to issue entry certificates to those persons desiring to

come to Britain and who clearly meet the requirements for

by

admission laid down for our immigration controls. It has

no responsibility whatsoever for our policies in this matter

(although when those policies are unpopular, it is, I suppose,

inevitable that some of the resentment which they generate

should brush off on to the Hong Kong Department and when,

on occasion, a doubtful case arises it may be necessary for

the department to refer an individual application to the

Home Office in London for a ruling. I can assure you that

/the