TNAG-0106-FCO40-142-Proposals-to-appoint-an-Ombudsman-1969 — Page 144

Sir James McPetrie

21

Reference...

Hong Kong

Commissioner for Administration Bill

in Feb. Past

We discussed (a request by the Hong Kong Department that you might write to the Attorney General there about this Bill. As a result, I

advised the Department that they should not send the draft of the Bill which we had received from the

Governor last year to the Parliamentary Commissioner for his comments but that they should themselves ask the Hong Kong authorities for a later draft of the

Bill.

2.

A revised draft of the Bill was received last

month and a copy of it has been sent to the Parliamentary Commissioner's Office. We were told that Mr. Denys Roberts will be in England during August next and proposes then to discuss the matter with the Parliamentary Commissioner. Mr. Sykes has

said that he will be happy to see Mr. Roberts. 3. It was suggested by Hong Kong that Mr. Primrose (Clerk of Councils) might be attached to the Parliamentary Commissioner's Office for two or three days towards the end of this year. Mr. Sykes has

told us that this is not possible since the Parliamentary Commissioner is bound not to disclose

information.

4.

It does not seem to me that there is anything for us to do at the moment in relation to the Hong Kong

Commissioner for Administration Bill and, in fact, no

decision has yet been taken in Hong Kong to proceed

with the Bill. You may, however, like to be aware

of Mr. Roberts' intended visit in August; he will no doubt call on you and possibly wish to discuss

this subject.

(H.L.M. Oxley) 10 April, 1969

P.GO.