TNAG-0525-FCO40-620-Visit-of-UK-Members-of-Parliament-(Defence-and-External-Affa-1975 — Page 195

RECEIVKO IN

اروح

631

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE, Room 9109 Main Building Whitehall London SW1A 2HB Telephone 01-218 3012 (Direct Dialling)

J C Sloman Esq

01-218 9000

Parliamentary Commissioner Committees Unit

(Switchboard)

Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1

Dear Fuck

G

REGISTRY

.62

PA

12 AUG 1975

PUL 3/2/2

Your reference

Our reference

Date

DEFENCE AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS SUB COMMITTEE VISIT TO HONG KONG AND CYPRUS IN NOVEMBER 1975

N/F1/467/75

12 August 1975

BD

1918

1. Douglas Millar wrote an omnibus letter to me on 6 August. In it he mentioned that the Sub Committee had considered the outline programme for the Hong Kong visit (see the attachment to Tony Boardman's letter of 28 July to Douglas). It had been agreed that the final discussion on 21 November (pm) should be devoted to informal evidence from the senior officials and officers in preparation for the oral evidence session back at Westminster on 2 December.

2. I have advised my Hong Kong contact accordingly together with the information about the DIASC's time of departure from Hong Kong. Douglas did not say anything about the accommodation in Hong Kong and I have told Hong Kong that the party will be content with a booking at the Mandarin. Neither did he say any more about the Macau trip and I have told Hong Kong to drop it from the plans. It is always possible for individual members to want to do their own thing regardless of the inconvenience to their hosts in fact it is a regular feature of their trips and if anyone raises it again we will have to look at it again.

3. I mentioned to you on the telephone the part of Douglas' letter which advised that the Sub Committee had dropped all ideas in relation to investigating community relations in Cyprus but that it would be interested in meeting the British contingent to UNFICYP in Cyprus. Thank you for sending me a copy of Nicosia telegram No 579 of 7 August to show some of the likely obstacles. May I take it that FCO will advise on what should be said to Douglas on the practicability of meeting his request?

Yours, Vailor

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[REGISTRY No.51

19 AUG 1975

DKK J/SVX/9

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