TNAG-0110-FCO40-146-Detainees-and-prisoners-following-19671968-disturbances-1968 — Page 5

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CONFIDENTIAL

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HONG KONG

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TELNO 2280

19 DECEMBER 1968

CONFIDENTIAL

FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

げ

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION BY MALCOLM

TELEGRAM 1666.

MACMILLAN.

SO FAR AS THIS WINTER IS CONCERNED WE ARE NOT AWARE OF ANY

OFFERS OF WARM CLOTHING. NOR HAVE WE RECEIVED ANY COMPLAINTS

ABOUT THE WARMTH OF CLOTHING FROM ANY PRISONER OR DETAINES,

I PRESUME THEREFORE THAT THIS QUESTION REFERS TO THE WINTER

OF 1967/68.

2.

DETAINEES. ALL DETAINEES HAVE BEEN PREE TO USE THEIR

OWN CLOTHING.

THERE HAVE BEEN NO RESTRICTIONS ON CLOTHING

SENT IN BY RELATIVES OR FRIENDS, I AM NOT AWARE OF ANY OFFER.

OF CLOTHING BY THE RED CROSS TO DETAINEES,

3.

CONVICTED PRISONERS. NO DISTINCTION HAS BEEN DRAWN

BETUCEN PRISONERS CONVICTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE 1967

DISTURBANCES AND OTHER PRISONERS,

ALL HAVE BEEN PROVIDED

WITH ADEQUATE SCALES OF CLOTHING LAID DOWN BY GOVERNMENT,

I THINK THAT YOU WILL AGREE THAT FOR SECURITY AND OTHER

REASONS NO PRISON ADMINISTRATION COULD PERMIT SELECTED PRIS-

ONERS TO HAVE ADDITIONAL PRIVATE CLOTHING, HOWEVER THERE

HAS NEVER DEEN ANY BAR ON PRIVATE CLOTHING BEING HANDED IN

FOR SAFE KEEPING FOR SUBSEQUENT ISSUE TO A PRISONER ON

DISCHARGE. DURING THE PAST YEAR MANY PRISONERS, INCLUDH

THOSE CONVICTED IN CONNECTION WITH THE DISTURBANCES, HAVE

TAKEN ADVANTAGE OF THIS ARRANGEMENT,

4.

LAST

DURING THE PAST YEAR VE HAVE REVIEWED THE CLOTHING SCALES

SEVERAL IMPROVEMENTS HAVE ALREADY BEEN INTRO-

FOR PRISONERS,

DUCED, INCLUDING THE ISSUE OF A WIND CHEATER AND AN ADDITIONAL

BLANKET.

I AM SATZFIED THAT NO PRICONER OR DETAINER HAS ANY

CAUSE FOR COMPLAINT ABOUT THE ADEQUACY OF CLOTHING AS REGARD

SIR D. TRENCH

FILES

H.K. DEPT.

FAR EASTERN DEPT. NEWS DEPT. NNNNN

STR A. GALSWORTHY MR. MORETON

CONFIDENTIAL

105

RECEIVED IM ARCHIVES No.31 23 DEC 1968

ADVANCE CON

SENT