Personal & Confidential
Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1
Telephone 01-
DH Jordan Esq MBE JP
Director of Commerce and Industry HONG KONG
Your reference
Our reference
Date
3 October 1974
Dear David,
EEC GSP
LAST
REF
142)
NEX.
REF.
1. Thank you for your letter of 26 September. I think the best answer is to send you the attached copy of a minute which I have circulated in the FCO. I entirely agree that we must consult further with you, and be seen to do so, before Ministers here are consulted on the next step. However, I genuinely believe that it would be useless to hold those consultations before the elections. Even the views of officials cannot be formulated in a political vacuum. There are so many possible permutations of Government policy that I am sure Peter Preston is right in saying that we must know the outcome of the elections before we can meet profitably with you. The week beginning 21 October seems the right compromise. I hope you agree?
2.
(Needless to say, I hope you will treat my minute with discretion and ensure that it is not quoted back at us.)
Your eve Andrew
A C Stuart
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.
PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL
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