TNAG-0332-FCO40-368-Visits-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Af-1972 — Page 22

4000091 P.R.H. 7

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REGISTRY No.51 14 MAR 1972

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12. put coky on Sus/ visit file

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT

jo.

3.72

INFORMATION SERVICES

DAILY INFORMATION

BULLETIN

107

ра

Tuesday, March 7, 1972

HONG KONG'S ACHIEVEMENTS "REMARKABLE BY ANY STANDARDS"

Sir Alec Douglas-Home Tells House Of Commons

*

The Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, the

Rt. Hon. Sir Alec Douglas-Home, has expressed "admiration for Hong Kong's

achievements" which he considers to be "remarkable by any standards.'

11

The Foreign Secretary made this statement in the House of Commons

yesterday in a reply to a Member of Parliament, Mr. Peter Blaker, who had asked

Sir Alec for a statement on his recent official visit to Hong Kong.

Sir Alec said: "I had wide ranging discussions with the Governor

and the members of the Executive and Legislative Councils. I was also able to

meet businessmen, industrialists and other leading members of the community."

Mr. Blaker then asked: "While I welcome my Rt. Hon. Friend's remarks,

may I ask him whether he is aware that the wishes of the people of Hong Kong

at present are that their export market should not be progressively closed to them and that in the forthcoming negotiations in the context of the enlarged

Community about the generalised preference scheme and about textiles, Her

Majesty's Government will see to it that Hong Kong has fair access?

Rt. Hon. Friend able to give the people of Hong Kong any assurance on that score?"

Was my

/The Foreign