©
Mr. Lovitt
д
Reference.....
Parliamentary Commissioner for
Administration
Our copy of your minute of 29 October to
Mr. Staveley has been put on this file for convenience. But the file itself is concerned with Hong Kong's own ideas on the subject of an ombudsman.
I am accordingly minuting to you internally as I thought you might wish to know about Hong Kong's approach to the matter.
2. As regards the specific enquiry in your minute, we can find no trace of any circular on this subject having been sent to Hong Kong. But it is clear from the other papers on this file that Hong Kong are well aware of United Kingdom set-up and I can see no objection to sending them a circular on the subject. Indeed, from Hong Kong's point of view it might be a good thing since it might give them some guidance as to how to go about the business themselves, in spite of their apparent familiarity with the situation in this country. The risk mentioned in paragraph 3 of your minute could be discounted by mentioning it either in the circular itself or in a covering saving despatch. It would be sufficient for the administra- tion to have the information itself without giving it any general publicity.
3. You will note from (3) and enclosures that Hong Kong have reached the stage of preparing the first draft of their own "Commissioner for Administration Bill" which is based in part on the U.K. Act and in part on New Zealand legislation, with a bias in favour of the latter. I would emphasise that these papers have come into our possession in an entirely informal manner (the Governor left them with us when he was in London two weeks ago for discussions on quite unrelated matters) and our comments have not been sought.
4. A spare copy of this minute is at front cover in case you wish to retain it.
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Fir.
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(A.W. GAMINARA)
HK. Dept.
FCO MPS
Tel. Main B 1238
3 November, 1968
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