Flag A
Mr Stewart
attalehed
Flag B
Mr Murray
HKK 385/2
RECEIVED IN REG. NO. 51 2 2 MAY 1978
DESK OFFICE CONFT DENYAL
INDEX
Parliamentary Unit
HONG KONG: PQ: DRUGS
PA
Action Taken
This is
Fol
سن
PQ is at present No 344
reply, behind so PQs to the Secretary of State for Scotland. It is there fore most unlikely to be reached for oral reply.
1. I attach a draft reply and background note to the Question put down by Rear Admiral Morgan-Giles MP (Conservative Winchester) for Oral Reply on 17 May. Parliamentary Unit have
confirmed that since the Question is unlikely to be reached
they do not require any Notes for Supplementaries.
2. Rear Admiral Morgan-Giles is a member of the Anglo/ Hong Kong Parliamentary Group and takes a close interest in Hong Kong affairs. He is generally sympathetic towards the
16/1.
Hong Kong Government and his question is probably prompted by a wish to draw attention to the achievements of the Hong Kong Government in tackling the drug problem. I recommend
therefore that although the Question is very similar to one that was asked by Mr Ron Lewis MP (Labour Carlisle) last
March, the reply should be given in full and not just by reference back to the previous Question. I am conscious of
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the fact that the Secretary of State has just turned down a proposal for an inspired PQ on the drugs problem on the grounds that drugs questions risk creating headlines about the increase in drug addicts. However, this related to a Question which set out the increase in the number of addicts undergoing treatment and rehabilitation and, therefore, leant itself to misinterpretation as apparently showing an increase in the number of addicts which was not the case). The present answer does not contain these statistics and there is not,
therefore, the same danger.
3. In view of the shortness of the notice, we have not been able to consult the Hong Kong Government again. The reply is, therefore, based on the material they provided in March. We shall, however, telegraph the text of the reply as soon as
CONFIDENTIAL
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