TNAG-0331-FCO40-367-Visits-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Af-1972 — Page 101

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MGISTRY 5.52

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- 3 FEB 1972

HKK 22/5

SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN THE HANDARIN HOTEL ON

14 FEBRUARY 1972

I am very sorry that I have not been able to pay an earlier ·

visit to Hong Kong. Now that I have managed to get here

and to see this splendid city again let me say how delighted

I am to be with you. I should like to begin by saying

something about how Hong Kong's affairs are viewed in the

United Kingdom and more particularly about my own relationship

with those affairs.

There

2: In Britain Hong Kong is now very much on the map.

are a number of Government departments, in addition to the

Foreign and Commonwealth Office, which have a specific interest

in what is going on here. But I have a special relationship

with you since as Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary I have

the functions previously held by the Secretary of State for

the Colonies and am the Minister directly responsible for

Hong Kong. It is to me that your Governor reports when an

issue that affects your interests needs to be brought to the

attention of the British Government. It is I who present

your case to Ministers collectively, and I can give you a personal assurance that whenever that happens those interests are given most close and sympathetic consideration.

3. I am, of course, also answerable to Parliament on your

account. There is a group of Members of Parliament who are

constantly active on your behalf and I, and my colleagues, have to answer a steady stream of letters and questions about Hong Kong. These are mostly about social and industrial problems,

but also about the growth of your industry and the competition

which it offers. I am glad to say that the tendency of these

/questions