TNAG-0305-FCO40-341-Use-of-Chinese-as-official-language-in-Hong-Kong-1971 — Page 41

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DRAFT SUBMISSION

Sit

Parliamentary Unit

Type 1 +

Erőm

Mr Laird Telephone No. & Ext.

To:-

Mr Logan

Department

one of

1.

The attached Parliamentary Question is the first

two inter-related Questions by Mr James Johnson down

on which are for written reply today1 December). I

am submitting separately on the other Question. A

ir

draft reply is attached, and is based on the information

in Hong Kong telegram no 896.

2. Since last year a campaign has been conducted by

certain elements in Hong Kong to secure recognition

of Chinese as an official language in the Colony and

in October 1970 the Hong Kong Government set up a

committee to enquire into the whole matter.

3. The Committee has now submitted 4 reports on the

subject to the Hong Kong Government, the last of

which was presented in July 1971. The Hong Kong

Government have already accepted in principle the

recommendations in the Committee's first report

(these concern the use of Chinese in Legislative

and Urban Council proceedings together with the

question of providing the necessary attendant facilities

thay

for simultaneous interpretation): is still

considering the remaining three reports, one of which

concerns the use of Chinese in court proceedings.

4.

to which particular a pect the Question relates.

During the past twelve months the Chinese

language issue has been the subject of representations

from various quarters and in November and December 190

/it