TNAG-0752-FCO40-956-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 50

Mr Rushfor. RUSHFORD.

SECRET

HKK 040

Reference......

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY HO. 51

14 AUG 1978

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

No

R.

Action 1,

79

FLAG A

514

FLAG B

ESA

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

1. In your minute of 14 July you suggested that the next steps in assessing the viability of the Governor's proposals for the extension of new territory leases were to check for precedents and to write to the Law Officers.

2.

Research Department have undertaken the first part but have been unable to come up with anything, other than a possibly interesting reference to the relevance of China law (Roberts-Wray, "Commonwealth and Colonial Law" Appendix 1). I therefore attach a draft letter to the Law Officers.

3.

Mr Murray is chairing a meeting on 17 August to be attended by the Governor, Mr McLaren, Mr Samuel and hopefully yourself, to discuss this problem. It would be helpful to have the Law Officers comments before that meeting and I have therefore included a reference to this in the draft letter.

CODE 18-77

24 July 1978

SECRET

༼་དྲུག་ཆན་ག་པའི་་ཆེན

J Thompson

Hong Kong & General Dept 233-4069 K270