TNAG-0670-FCO40-819-Policy-of-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-land-in-New-Territories-1977 — Page 79

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Mr Murray Parliamentary Unit

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HONG KONG: PQs: MR ROBERT PARRY MP

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23 JAN.977

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HKK 368/4

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1. Mr Robert Parry, MP (Labour Liverpool, Scotland Exchange Division) has put down six Written Questions on Hong Kong for answer on 26 January. Five of these concern affairs in the New Territories in Hong Kong. The sixth, which arises from the others,

amounts to a general complaint about the time taken by Hong Kong Government Departments to reply to enquiries.

2. Mr Parry, who has a number of Hong Kong Chinese constituents, has taken a close interest in Hong Kong affairs in recent months. He put down fourteen Questions on child labour in December and twelve earlier this month about the Governorship of Hong Kong and the possibility of a second airport being built in Hong Kong. He has nine more Written Questions for answer later this week. Mr Parry has now tabled forty-one Questions on Hong Kong, as well as a critical Early Day Motion, in little over a month.

3. Mr Parry visited Hong Kong for nearly five weeks in August

and September last year. His visit was made under the auspices of the Heung Yee Kuk, the rural consultative council in the New Territories. This Council has a number of complaints against the Hong Kong Government. Most of Mr Parry's Questions are about matters in which the Council is interested.

4. An explanation is needed on the last of Mr Parry's Questions. At the end of his visit to Hong Kong Mr Parry was invited, along with Sir Paul Bryan MP, who was in Hong Kong at the same time, to meet the Governor and a number of his officials. (The record of the Flag D meeting on 16 September is attached.) The Hong Kong Government

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evidently understood that this meeting had served to dispose of a number of enquiries that Mr Parry had earlier put to the New Territories Administration and other Departments. It has now emerged that this was not Mr Parry's understanding and that he has been awaiting replies to his original enquiries.

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