TNAG-0678-FCO40-827-Allegations-of-corruption-and-bribery-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 78

CONFIDENTIAL

JOHNS

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4.

Mr Cortaż

Parliamentary Unit

HONG KONG: PQ ON CORRUPTION:

1. Mr James Johnson MP (Labour

MR JAMES JOHNSON MP

Kingston-upon-Hull West) has put

down an Oral Question for 30 March on a point concerning corruption arising from a speech that Mr Jack Cater, the head of the

Independent Commission Against Corruption, made last month at the Hong Kong Rotary Club.

2. Mr Johnson last visited Hong Kong nearly three years ago but he maintains an interest in Hong Kong's affairs. He has focused

on three issues in particular:-

(a) the composition of the Legislative Council, about which he tabled a PQ on 19 May 1976 and wrote to Lord Goronwy- Roberts in September last year;

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(b) social conditions in Hong Kong. Mr Johnson has in the past raised the idea of a Parliamentary enquiry into social conditions

Hong Kong and he and Mr Ben Ford MP twice discussed it with Lord Goronwy-Roberts last year. Mr Johnson also signed the Early Day Motion tabled by Mr Robert Parry MP before Christmas entitled "Democratic and Social Advance of Hong Kong"; and

(c) corruption, especially in the Royal Hong Kong Police Force. FLAGS F, G Mr Johnson tabled PQs on this matter in February and August 1975

HCH and again in February 1976.

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3. The point in Mr Cater's speech to the Rotary Club of Hong Kong on 15 February which has evidently attracted Mr Johnson's attention is that where Mr Cater said that at "the height of corruption activities" in Hong Kong syndicated corruption amounted at a con- servative estimate to HK$1,000 millions (or as Mr Johnson has said about £125 millions). It is important to remember that this estimate relates to the position which existed, in Mr Cater's view, some four or five years ago. He is not suggesting that corruption on this

scale still exists.

CONEDENTIAL

13.

I submit