NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
W(B)L 51-7406
number of trading arrangements and agreements
into which Hong Kong enters in terms of the
LTA I do not consider it necessary or practicable for the terms of every such arrange ment or agreement to be scrutinised in London
before it is concluded and can be registered if necessary under Article 102 of the United
Nations Charter. Provided, therefore, that
you are satisfied that the conclusion of any
LTA arrangement does not jeopardise the interests of Her Majesty's Government or commit Her Majesty's Government to undertakings for which their prior agreement should, in your
view, be obtained, I confirm that there will
be no objection to the inclusion in the
preamble to such arrangements of a statement
to the effect that the Government of Hong Kong
or administrative department concerned is
acting with the authority and consent of Her Majesty's Government.
5. Turning now to non-cotton textiles, it is
necessary to devise arrangements satisfying two criteria, viz: (i) the Government of Hong
Kong can reach such agreements on non-cotton
textiles as they wish with other Governments, and (ii) Her Majesty's Government will not find
themselves prejudiced in pursuing their own
commercial policies by the fact that they will
be regarded as having jeopardised their own position by authorising the Government of Hong Kong to reach such agreements. As
regards international gatherings at which
non-cotton textilès may be discussed, I hope
that, as in the Cotton Textiles Committee,
arrangements can be worked out on the spot whereby the expression of conflicting views
can usually be avoided.
6. Apart from the international a spects,
this delegation of authority will have to be
defensible to the United Kingdom textile
industry. As regards quantitative restric- tions, Her Majesty's Government will,
/therefore
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