TNAG-0305-FCO40-341-Use-of-Chinese-as-official-language-in-Hong-Kong-1971 — Page 67

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5. The four reports submitted by the Chinese Language Committee

were presented to the Governor and it is accordingly for the Hong

Kong Government in the first place to consider the recommendations

in those reports. We know that the Governor in Council has

accepted in principle the recommendations contained in the

Committee's first report. (These involve, inter alia, the

provision of simultaneous interpretation facilities for the

Legislative and Urban Councils as the first step, to be followed

by the provision of similar facilities for Boards and Committees "utilising the services of non-English speaking persons").

But we do not know what stage has been reached by the Hong Kong

Government in its consideration of the recommendations contained

in the remaining three reports submitted by the Committee.

It would, I suggest, be inappropriate for the Minister to express

any views on the matters raised by the Language Action Committee

of the Hong Kong Federation of Students pending the outcome of the Hong Kong Government's deliberations on the recommendations

made by the Chinese Language Committee.

6.

Having regard to the above considerations, the terms of a

suggested reply to the Hong Kong Federation of Students were put to the Acting Governor in paragraph 3 of Mr Laird's letter to him

of 14 October and have been agreed by the Acting Governor in

his telegram No 798.

7. Since there has been some delay (which I regret) in dealing

with the earlier letter from the Federation, I now recommend

that a telegram be sent to the Acting Governor on the lines of

the attached draft asking him to cause a reply to be sent to the

Federation, on Mr Royle's behalf, in the terms already agreed

with him.

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