TNAG-0295-FCO40-331-Long-term-study-of-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1971 — Page 19

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Board of Trade under Cabinet Office chairmanship under the

previous Administration.

This paper was never taken by the

Cabinet Committee to which it was submitted and therefore lapsed

when the Government changed in June 1970. The present paper

has been written wholly in the FCO. It has not been cleared

so far with any other Department since before it goes elsewhere

in Whitehall I believe that we should obtain sanction of our

Ministers.

4.

If it is approved by the Secretary of State it is for

consideration whether a shorter paper summarising its

conclusions should be put to DOPC. On the other hand the

paper closes no options and its only recommendation is for

regular review of the situation. The Secretary of State may

feel that no action with DOPC is therefore needed, though he

may wish to inform senior colleagues of the consideration which

he has given to this thorny question. If, however, the paper is

to go to DOPC it would be as well that it should be cleared

through DOP(0) Committee first.

5. The text of the paper has not so far been seen by the

Governor of Hong Kong, or by the Governor-designate.

tum hilfão

K M Wilford

28 June 1971