TNAG-0124-FCO40-160-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1969 — Page 31

HKD)

Ilr. Earrington

po n

SECRET

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45

Hong Kong: Long-Term Study

We discussed today the arrangements for considering the paper K(69)1 in the Ministerial Committee on Hong Kong, of which the Secretary of State is Chairman and Lord Shepherd a member. The Secretary of State had earlier agreed that a meeting of the Committee should be fixed after his return from the NATO meeting on 14 April and the Cabinet Office had intimated that they expected to be able to arrange one towards the end of April. Since a meeting has not yet been arranged I raised with you the complication that Lord Shepherd is now due to leave this country on 9 May and will not be returning

until 18 June.

2.

I later consulted Lord Shepherd who expressed the hope that consideration of the paper in the Ministerial Committee on Hong Kong could await his return. His tour includes Hong Kong

and he would then be able to speak from recent first-hand experience. Although the Department had hoped that the paper could have been taken in the Ministerial Committee before

Lord Shepherd's visit so that he could speak to the Governor about it, they agree that, since Lord Shepherd cannot now be present at a meeting of the Committee before his departure, it will be better to await his return. The paper is unlikely to require any substantial up-dating as a result of a further six weeks' delay.

3.

You accordingly spoke to the Cabinet Office in this sense who agreed to deferment until Lord Shepherd's return. You told me that the Cabinet Office were considering taking the paper in OPDO in the meantime. Although this is contrary to what was earlier agreed between the Cabinet Office and ourselves, and the interim report was considered by OPDO, we would not wish to raise any objection.

NOT

Thorla

Copies: Sir A. Galsworthy

Sir J. Johnston

Mr. Godden

Mr. Baker

Mr. Carter

SECRET

(J. O. Moreton)

7 May 1969.