D/MIN/WR/8/7.
SSEGRERET
Mr Mellon (181) X Nu-Joavvin
Tau
1972
1
HKIL 6/Art
16/12 14 14/1946
Copied 1 HKIL
MINISTER OF STATE FOR DEFENCE
465
PS/Secretary of State
Copies to:
PS/DUS(P) AUS(GS) AUS(D Staff) D of DP(C) Head of DS 1
Head of DS 6 SECCOS
Mr O'Keefe FCO
PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts FCO
HONG KONG - DEFENCE COSTS AGREEMENT
Subsequent to his letter of 12 December, and the decisions taken yesterday morning by MES, the Minister of State spoke to the Governor of Hong Kong over the telephone this morning.
2. He explained that Ministers had decided that no action would be taken against imports from Hong Kong for the time being although this question might have to be considered at a later date and, on this basis, he invited the Governor to agree to an announcement on the Defence Costs Agreement
The Governor on Friday 19 December as proposed in his letter. accepted this, provided that the Chancellor of the Exchequer makes no reference to Hong Kong in his speech during tomorrow's debate on employment and measures for saving jobs and, if pressed on this question, goes no further than the minutes of the MES meeting yesterday.
3. It is apparent that the Governor will still wish to check what is said in the debate tomorrow before giving his final agreement to an announcement on Friday and because of this, the Minister of State has suggested that you should write to the Chancellor's Private Secretary today to underline the importance of choosing his words with some care tomorrow. A draft letter, which has been cleared with AUS(GS), is enclosed.
11
16 December 1975
S Sanders
(C T Sandars)
PS/Minister of State
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