TNAG-0806-FCO40-1011-Policy-of-Government-of-Hong-Kong-on-land-in-the-New-Territo-1979 — Page 159

Mr Murray Parliamentary Unit

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HONG KONG:

CONFIDENTIAL

INDEX

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1 1 JAN A

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No kas id

MR HOOLEY'S PQ ON LAND LEASES IN THE

NEW TERRITORIES

RY

1. I submit a draft reply, to the priority written Parliamentary

Question tabled by Mr Frank Hooley (Labour Sheffield Heeley)

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for answer on 10 January. During 1977 Mr Hooley tabled 19 Questions on a wide variety of topics concerning Hong Kong♦ He is generally critical of the policies of the Hong Kong

Government.

2.

Title to all land in Hong Kong is held by the Crown, and

all leases are granted by the Government of Hong Kong. In the New Territories all such leases expire three days before the expiry of the lease of the Territories from China. (ie. 27 June 1997).

3. Although we are in fact actively considering whether we should now attempt to reach an agreement with China on the Future of land leases in the New Territories, it is our policy not to take any public initiative that might threaten the status quo in Hong Kong. For this reason, we cannot give a forthcoming reply to Mr Hooley.

4.

The proposed answer has been agreed with Hong Kong, Peking

and FED.

давят

9 January 1978

JA B Stewart

Hong Kong & General Department

CONFIDENTIAL

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