TNAG-0445-FCO40-510-Discussions-with-Sir-Murray-MacLehose--Governor-of-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 179

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Mr Galsworthy

UNSTARRED PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION BY LORD KENNET:

1.

KOWLOON WALLED CITY

Lord Kennet has put down the following unstarred Question for answer in the House of Lords on 11 June: 'To ask Her Majesty's Government what is the density per acre in the Walled City of Kowloon in the Colony of Hong Kong'.

2. Lord Kennet was deputy leader of a Parliamentary delegation which visited China in November 1973. En route he visited the Walled City and expressed his concern at the conditions which he found to the Governor of Hong Kong and subsequently to an official of the Chinese Institute of Foreign Affairs, his hosts in Feking. Although the Chinese official claimed to have recorded Lord Kennet's remarks there

has been no Chinese reaction. On his return, Lord Kennet raised the matter with the previous Administration and on 9 May called on Lord Goronwy-Roberts. Lord Goronwy-Rober's Flag B asked the Department to elicit the views of the Governor of

Hong Kong and HM Ambassador Peking on whether an approach n (the Chinese might now be possible and on what more could be

done within the Walled City. He undertook to speak to Lord Kennet again before the debate in the House of Lords.

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Twy 2/6 18 C & D 3. Hong Kong telegrams numbers 559 and 560 set out the

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Governor's views. Hong Kong telegram number 1450 of 15 December 1973 (to which he refers) stated that, if the subject were raised with the Chinese, they would at worst raise the question of their representation in Hong Kong and at best only be prepared to give vague assurances which would not be much help in practice.

He hoped that in time

/the Hong Kong

cc: Mr Male

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