HFK 3/548/8-
CONFIDENTIAL
Letua on
Para(0)
Sir Hugh Norman-Walker KCMG OBE Colonial Secretary
Hong Kong Department
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
LONDON SW1
21 April 1972
1.
Hilton Cheong-Leen called on Er Royle yesterday. tele ram No 273 refers.) I was present.
2.
(Your
Cheong-Leen had a list of topics he wished to raise (a copy is attached); and when he heard this Mr Royle insisted that Cheong-Leen should not talk to the press in liong Kong about anything he might say. All that Mr Royle would accept was
that Cheong-Leen could say he had seen him for a private discussion and that he hoped to be able to visit Hong Kong again sometime this year. Mr Royle agreed later that Cheong-Leen could also sy, if he wanted to, that Mr Royle had confirmed that the 2. Delph Goverment would of course do everythim possible to
ong Kong when Britain joined the Common Market.
3. Cheong-Leen spent a good deal of time talking about fair rts tribunals, arguing that ong Kong had to consider every possible way of cutting down costs to enable the Colony to
He was retain its competitive position in foreign markets. obviously dis.oncerted when Er Royle told him that the fair rents tribunals in the UK were concerned only with residential accommodation. (We have of course had your letter of 22 March about the renewal of the 75 year leases and you will remember that you commented in the last paragraph of that letter about the proposal to have a l'air rent tribunal.)
He
4.
Cheong-Leen talked about the campaign in support of the roposal that Mrs lsie Elliott be given a seat on Legco. Seened to be afraid that the campaign would be successful and he kept asking about the attitude of the British Government. In reply Mr Royle told him that the composition of the Legislative Council was entirely a matter for the Governor who would obviously have regard to a large number of considerations before submitting his recommendations to the Secretary of State. He stressed that members had always been appointed on a personal basis.
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