TNAG-0622-FCO40-770-Budget-of-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 54

Registry

No.

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret

-Secret

Confidential.

“Restricted.

Unclassified.

PRIVACY MARKING

..................................................In Confidence

CONFIDENTIAL

DRAFT

NOTE

To:-

Eveù Bocher pla

Thank

Type 1 + tis cum me PAY.

19/5

From

recom

T DUFFY

Telephone No. Ext.

Department

DSR11

NOTE OF A MEETING HELD AT THE FCO AT 11AM, WEDNESDAY 18 MAY TO DISCUSS THE BUDGET SPEECH, 1977/78

Those present:

Mr J A B Stewart, Head of HKGD

Mr Adrian Smith, Senior Economic Adviser

Mr Duffy

Mr C P Haddon-Cave,

Financial Secretary,

Hong Kong

7

1. Mr Stewart welcomed this opportunity for a talk with Mr Haddon-Cave before the Standing Committee to monitor the Planning Paper had its meeting on 19 May. Mr Haddon-Cave said he hoped that the budget would not be an issue, that he thought that the budget had been accepted, base

telegram had been sent to the FCO 21 says before the budget ? speech was made and the Hong Kong reply to this was

received ten days later. This implied that changes would

be suggested. A further two telegrams were sent, to which no reply had been received. He thought that it was rather unfair that no reply was sent as he was left not knowing whether last minute changes would be suggested in the budget speech. He thought that the reply which had been sent by the FCO to the original Hong Kong telegram on the budget was not encouraging and prts of it could not be understood.

2. Mr Stewart said he accepted the Government's argument that a parallel to the Chancellor of the Exchequer's speech could be fand by taking the Governor's speech and the Financial Secretary's speech together. Mr Haddon-Cave said that the Financial Secretary's duty was to carry out the directives implied in the Governor's speech. / Mr Stewart

Dd 108087 400M S&K 1/77