TNAG-0225-FCO40-261-Ministerial-meetings-on-internal-affairs-of-Hong-Kong-1970 — Page 33

PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL

Reference.........

into detail about the three proposals in the Secretary of State's letter. This was more or less factual, although there were one or two rather unnecessary comments. The letter explained that there would be free primary education very soon but that there were difficulties about introducing compulsory primary education because, for example, the curriculum for the communist schools would have to be laid down and this would lead the Hong Kong Government into difficulties with the CPG. However, it included a reference to compulsory primary education, in certain cases involving bringing the parents before a magistrate. read the draft very quickly and I am not at all clear exactly how it will work. On housing, the letter set forth the difficulties fairly reasonably, and as regards the Ombudsman the position was left open, although it was made clear that there should be no Ombudsman now. The Governor

said that he had to send their views to London before Mr. Royle's visit (I did not know then that he had been specifically asked by telegram to do this) and I agreed that something on the lines of the draft would do.

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9. My object throughout was to gain the Governor's confidence and I think I succeeded in doing this. During the half hour we had together he felt able to discuss his personal worries. He was tired and not well;

papers that came to him were either routine matters (involving the exercise of legislative authority) or else impossible problems on which he had to pronounce. He was involved in all kinds of matters (problems from the Jockey Club) which people seemed to think had to be referred to him.

During this time and at another meeting last Saturday morning at which I said goodbye to him I was able to get

his views on a number of other matters on which I shall be reporting separately.

15 September, 1970

Emai

(E. 0. Laird)

Hong Kong Department