TNAG-0606-FCO40-754-Monitoring-progress-made-on-planning-papers-on-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 7

CONFIDENTIAL

776

Reference.........

Mr Stewart

Mr Milton tiuka

DTM 23|5

WORK ARISING FROM THE THIRD MEETING OF THE STANDING COMMITTEE TO MONITOR THE HONG KONG PLANNING PAPER

1. There follows a list of work arising from the third meeting of the Standing Committee:-

(a) on the basis of a draft prepared by HKGD and Economists Department, Mr Murray will write to the Governor to express the view that the Financial Secretary's budget statement should be more directly linked to the Governor's speech at every new session of LegCo, and vice-versa;

(b) on the basis of a draft agreed with Mr Smith, Mr Stewart will write to the Hong Kong Financial Secretary to open a dialogue on some of the technical points with which the Committee takes issue with the Hong Kong Government;

(c) that a letter will be sent to the Governor to inform him of the Committee's preliminary review of the report of the Third Inland Revenue Review Committee, and inviting Hong Kong's views on it;

(a) meanwhile, the Committee will seek an informed opinion of the report, possibly from the Board of the Inland Revenue;

(e) a submission will be prepared for Lord Goronwy-Roberts on the latest developments with regard to child labour and this will discuss the "minimum sentence proposal along with any other ideas for increasing the sentences passed on offenders;

(f) a letter will be sent to the Governor expressing appreciation of the difficulties facing Hong Kong's education programme and the achievements made but offering help to accelerate progress;

(g) the Governor's views will be sought on the extent to which the new members of LegCo are proving effective in providing help in promoting the Governor's social programme;

(h) Mr Murray will write to the Governor to ask for further details on the extent to which the Hong Kong Government's financial policy affects a redistribution of income in Hong Kong;

(i) the department will submit to Lord Goronwy-Roberts on the No Hong Kong Government's progress with regard to ILO Conventions (the

Governor's letter of 4 May refers).

1 Alived

T J David

Hong Kong & General Dept K 245

233 4777

CODE 18 - 77

t

20 May 1977

cc: Mr Duffy

Mr Upton

CONFIDENTIAL