Mr Margetson
Keierence..
(Cabinet Office)
1 REXXT
HKK 3/5+8/15-
16
REF
CABINET OFFICIAL WORKING GROUP ON HONG KONG
I have the following comments on the minutes of the meeting of 18 October (GEN 190(73) 1st Meeting).
1. Sterling Guarantee Agreement.
The minutes confuse the discussions on an interim arrangement, to last from now until next March, and the long term arrangement which, perhaps, will succeed it. No great harm is done but Mrs Hedley- Miller may wish to suggest a revised wording.
2. Executions.
Formally the prerogative is The Queen's, advised by the Foreign & Commonwealth Secretary. I suggest deleting the word "by" and inserting "on the advice of".
3. GSP.
The last sentence is a DTI position, not an agreed one. The political effect of discrimination by the UK against Hong Kong is such that it would not be offset by concessions in other areas.
4. Mass Transit.
The first sentence might be reworded: "At the moment the leading contenders for the contract were the Japanese. The all-British consortium had collapsed, but an Anglo/Italian group was being put together".
22 October 1973
Copy to:
Mr Smith (Cabinet Office)
Mrs Hedley-Miller (Treasury)
Mr Brennan (Home Office)
Mr de Winton (Law Officers' Dept)
Mr Bryars (Ministry of Defence)
Mr Edwards (DTI)
Mr Roberts (Cabinet Office)
Mr Youde (FCO)
DesL
A C Stuart
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Department
ра
Poll
2540
(17293) 897465 400m 1/73 G.W.B.Lt!. Gp 3
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