406
PERSONAL and
CONFIDENTIAL
2
interests of the U.K.
I should like you to
know that, should such a situation arise, I would regard it as a particular responsibility of myself and my Ministerial colleagues in this office to see that H.F.G. took that account of Hong Kong's interests which our special responsibilities towards Hong Kong require and that, if on occasion it may be that we cannot meet you in full, it will only have been after due consideration at
Ministerial level.
4.
But I am sure that you will agree that, if we are to be successful in our joint aim
that
of seeing that Hong Kong gets due credit for her achievements, it is important we should be seen to be responding to the needs of a continuingly developing
situation in the Colony.
5.
There are in this connexion three
matters in the social field where an advance seems to me both possible and important
from the end I have in view and I would be grateful if you could consider them as a
matter of urgency:
(i) Education
I believe that an early announce-
ment of the introduction of compulsory
primary education, free of charge,
would do much to improve Hong Kong's
"image" both in this country and
elsewhere. It is my understanding
that such an announcement would also
meet with general approval in the
Colony itself now that a new public
/assistance
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.