133
Mr Murray
12 MAL:/i
HKK 212/548/
MR ROBERT PARRY'S WRITTEN QUESTION ON PROFESSOR TURNER'S REPORT
we
1. I told you on the telephone that, according to my memory, were committed to an eventual publication of the Report. This derives from our original agreement to Professor Turner's request that he should be allowed to publish this Report after its completion.
2.
The question of publication was considered at the Hong Kong Monitoring Committee meeting held in February 1977 where it was noted that Professor Turner would wish to publish his report in due course and agreed that if, in the meantime, there should be leaks of parts of the Study, the FCO should seek to arrange immediate publication. If it were to be published by the Office, then it would, of course, become a public document and available to be placed in the Library of the House.
3.
On the other hand, as you had supposed, there has been no ministerial agreement to placing the Report in the Library (other than the implicit approval by Lord Goronwy-Roberts of the Monitoring Committee's decisions: you are of course aware that the Committee reports direct to Lord Goronwy-Roberts). Therefore,
in view of the lack of time, I suggest that we now use an alternative answer to Mr Parry's Question, a copy of which I attach herewith. This is not the answer I would wish to give but it is a safe one.
4 May 1977
...B. Sleut
JAB Stewart
Hong Kong & General Dept
Roberts
would prefer ti
a
commitment simply
in
questions.
Ps / Land Garonwy Parliament gly wit.
Roberts freedom of action
The proposed reply is safe, as the Stewart
to presence
Lord Goronary
this, and not to make
audie
Qual
of Mr. Parry's
No comments yet.
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