14
CONFIDENTIAL
Mr Murray
Parliamentary Unit
HONG KONG: PQS: MR ROBERT PARRY MP
1. Mr Robert Parry MP (Labour Liverpool, Scotland Exchange) has put down nine Written Questions on Hong Kong for answer on
28 January.
2.
Four of Mr Parry's Questions directly concern the Heung Yee Kuk,
the rural consultative council in the New Territories who sponsored Mr Parry's visits to Hong Kong in 1973 and in August and September last year.
In one of his Questions Mr Parry asks if the Secretary of State or the Minister of State (meaning, I assume, Lord Goronwy- Roberts) will meet a small delegation from the Heung Yee Kuk who
will be visiting the UK in March. Their visit is to discuss the question of land compensation in the New Territories, Hong Kong, and other related matters. A delegation from the Heung Yee Kuk last visited the UK in 1973 when they were seen by Mr (now Sir) Anthony Royle, then Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State at the FCO. Since then, the Kuk's relations with the Hong Kong Government have deteriorated and they have twice recently petitioned Lord Goronwy- Roberts on land matters. Both petitions were, on the advice of the Hong Kong Government, rejected. The Kuk are understood to be launching a campaign to publicize their arguments on land matters in the New Territories and may open an office in London for this purpose. The visit by the Kuk referred to in Mr Parry's Question is clearly part of this campaign. Lord Goronwy-Roberts, to whose Office I am copying this submission, may prefer that no firm commitment should be given on his behalf either to meet a delegation or to discuss any particular matter.
3. Four of Mr Parry's other Questions concern military use of land in the New Territories, a matter in which the Heung Yee Kuk also have an interest. The details necessary to provide a full answer to Mr Parry's first Question on military areas are long and complex and the Hong Kong Government are forwarding them by bag.
CONFIDENTI AL
See below.
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