TNAG-0461-FCO40-526-Exchange-of-newsletters-between-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Off-1974 — Page 6

Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1

Telephone 01-

Your reference

5/8

I A C Kinnear Esq

Senior British Trade Commissioner

HONG KONG

Our reference IIKK 6/548/5

Date

19 November 1974

Dear Tim,

MONTHLY NEWSLETTER

1.

LAST

REF.

NEXT

Thank you for your letter of 21 October which we have all read with interest for the perspective it gives to the current situation in Hong Kong. I think this first exchange sets a useful pattern for the sort of thing we should aim for in these letters and you may be sure that I will not overlook the need to keep you posted about political developments as well. It has, however, been a relatively quiet period as regards Hong Kong affairs in general, which is reflected in a shorter letter this time.

POLITICAL

Visits

2. Arrangements are going ahead for the Queen's visit, and the Central Office of Information are in touch with David Ford about any help which they may be able to give on the publicity side. You may also have heard by the time this reaches you of two other forthcoming visits. First, the Governor will probably be returning to London for consultations with Lord Goronwy-Roberts and officials from 17-20 December. He particularly wishes to discuss:

(a)

(b)

(c)

defence (for reasons which will be obvious but on which I cannot dwell at this stage);

effects of the economic recession and its implications for Hong Kong's budget and social programmes;

labour legislation (on which there has recently been considerable progress but on which we are still under pressure from the TUC); and

(a) possible constitutional changes (mainly concerning

LegCo Members and the possibility of giving some of them administrative responsibilities: there were some preliminary discussions on this when the Governor was here in June).

F

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

/Second,