TNAG-0576-FCO40-709-Visits-of-UK-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 108

CODE

18-77

Mr Stewart

Reference.

~KC026/548/5

VISIT TO HONG KONG

1. I attach a copy of the programme which I carried out during my visit to Hong Kong from 26 June to 9 July. It may be helpful to have this on record in planning future visits by members of the department. I likewise attach, with the same object in view, a list of the senior officers in the Secretariat and Departments and others whom I met.

2.

As I left Hong Kong, I was conscious that there were a number of areas of government activity which I had not explored, though I did cover fairly fully all those on which we had told Hong Kong that I would like to concentrate (FCO telno 393 of 25 May). The main areas of government activity which I did not cover were as follows:-

i.

ii.

iii.

iv.

Agriculture and Fisheries, though I met the Director

of the Department, Mr Nichols, socially. The work of the Department is specialised and is not central to the programme of action in the Planning Paper.

Home Affairs Department, except for the work of the City District Officers which I covered.

Housing Department. I was shown a fair amount of public housing but did not call on the Department. (Mr Lightbody, the Secretary for Housing, has since been in the Office.)

Information Services Department. I met Mr Ford, the Deputy Secretary for Information in the Home Affairs Branch and Mr Lai, the Director of the Information Services Department, but did not go into detail on information matters eg the projection of the British image in Hong Kong.

V.

Legal Department.

vi.

Marine Department.

3.

vii.

viii.

Medical and Health Department, whose work, like that of the Housing Department, is importat in the context of the Planning Paper.

Public Works Department.

ix. Radio Hong Kong (Mr Duffy knows all about this).

Apart from calling on the Financial Secretary and the Secretary for Economic Services, I did not delve into financial and economic questions. The proposed visit by Mr Smith, Senior Economic Adviser, later in the year would cover this field. I met very few businessmen (apart from the members of UMELCO!).

2 August 1976

ee! Mr Janvrin

D.F. Mithi

D F Milton

Hong Kong Department

WAIT NIGHT A T.