TNAG-0465-FCO40-530-Entitlement-of-Hong-Kong-to-EEC-Generalised-Scheme-of-Prefer-1974 — Page 56

CONFIDENTIAL

DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY

1 VICTORIA STREET

LONDON SWIH DET

187

XXXXXXXX

01-215-5457

Mr R D Hart

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

European Integration Department (External)

Room E105

Downing Street (East)

London SW 1

7 November, 1974

Den forn

GENERALISED SCHEME OF PREFERENCES

LAST

REF.

185°

REAL

RFF

Many thanks for your letter of November and the most useful first draft of the brief for next week's Council discussion on GSP. As you say, the Secretary of State's memorandum on this subject has not yet been discussed in EQ and it seems likely that the final form of our draft must be affected by this. However, this is likely to concern the longer term rather than the immediate proposals for 1975, so it seems sensible to me to proceed along the lines you have taken in your draft.

2. It is the case that Ministers will formally be working on the basis of a report prepared by the President of COREPER on his own authority. I understand that we may be able to have a text of this report before the week-end but I hope that it will not affect the overall shape of our brief. We will also need to take account of the on-going representations in capitals about Hong Kong footwear but, perhaps, this could also be done as necessary at the last minute.

V

John

J B INGRAM

cc:

Miss C Welch

Kr N Brecknell

P.S.

note bejeller

background bine! e specating note to

Department of Trade

Cabinet Office

Mr D K Timms - HKIOD, FCO

Mr A K Russell

Ꮧ

J-

Mr B Brownsey

ODM

MAFF

CONFIDENTIAL