TNAG-0572-FCO40-705-Monitoring-of-progress-made-on-planning-paper-on-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 35

Mr Stewart

Mr Mal

CONFIDENTIAL

COVERING SECRET

Mr Cortazzi

PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts

Tels sent

berts

as

ammended

and Gamery.

Colied BHKKD13/5287/

M. Casey

HONG KONG: GOVERNOR'S STATEMENT TO THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

1/x

1. The Governor of Hong Kong has asked for very early comments

on draft sections in his proposed statement to the Legislative Council on 6 October which relate to the measures summarized in Flag A paragraph 23 of Annex C to the Planning Paper (Hong Kong telegram Flags numbers 969 and 970). & C (23)

(24) 2.

141111976/5/18/0

Flag D

Mr Hurst and I have examined what the Governor proposes to say in the light of the relevant paragraph in Annex C to the Planning Paper (as well as Annex D), the record of the Governor's meeting with Lord Goronwy-Roberts on 21 July and with an eye on what we may subsequently wish to say to the TUC (Mr Stewart's Flag letter of 24 September to the Governor).

10

WKICZIY/SV/1 (163)

3. I would not dispute the Governor's statement that the points in the Planning Paper are covered in the various draft passages of his speech. I am not, however, happy about the way in which they are covered. Naturally, the Governor has drafted in a manner best designed to appeal to his local audience and it is clearly important that he should prepare Hong Kong opinion to accept the measures that he is going to introduce. At the same time, as the Governor well knows, his statement will be important in UK

political terms

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we hope to draw on it in answer to PQs etc. In my view, parts of what the Governor proposes to say are not satisfactory for the UK audience. Even in Hong Kong terms I wonder whether it is advisable to enter quite so many qualifications and reservations in respect of some measures, e.g. the fact that the extension of the Public Assistance Scheme to able-bodied persons between 15 and 55 years of age will be subject to specified checks designed to prevent abuse. Likewise, the emphasis on the various stages which have to be completed before decisions

CONFIDENTIAL