TNAG-1010-FCO40-1260-Handling-of-Parliamentary-business-concerning-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 10

BU UR WILLIAMSON 30/4/87.

MEMORANDUM ON THE HANDLING OF PARLIAMENTARY BUSINESS

BY HONG KONG AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTIONS

General

1.

HICK 0 12/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

0 8 MAY 1981

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

Responsibility for coordinating action within clion Fakena

AW 8/5

the FCO Parliamentary Unit, who receive copies of all Questions as soon as they are tabled and allocate them to the appropriate FCO department, indicating in each case the deadline by which the replies must be submitted. These deadlines have to be strictly adhered to.

(More information on deadlines is given in the individual sections on the different types of Questions below).

2.

When a Question concerning Hong Kong is referred to Hong Kong and General Department, the normal practice is to copy it immediately by telegram to Hong Kong with either a suggested reply or a request for information on which to base a reply. Only very rarely is a Question concerning Hong Kong answered without prior consultation with the Hong Kong Government (for example if the Question concerns a point of British policy towards Hong Kong rather than, as is more usual, a matter of Hong Kong Government policy but even then we would normally send a copy of the proposed reply for information if time allowed).

3. When the Question is one for oral reply which is likely to be reached (see section on Oral Questions below), we are also required to produce notes for use in dealing with supplementary questions. A draft reply to any type of Parliamentary Question must also be accompanied by a brief factual note to help the Minister replying understand the background to the Question. Where we do not have the necessary information available already, our telegram to Hong Kong may also ask for information for inclusion in the background note. To illustrate what is required, a copy of a typical Question, with its draft reply and accompanying notes for supplementaries and background note, is attached as an annex to this memorandum.

4.

The telegram to Hong Kong always gives a deadline by which the reply must be received in the FCO. General speaking, we set this deadline one full working day before the deadline which we ourselves have to meet in submitting the reply to the Parliamentary Unit: experience has shown that this is the minimum period, particularly for replies on which other people in the FCO may have to be con- sulted. But it also leaves us time to consult Hong Kong again if there are any further points to be clarified.

5. However, where this would mean leaving Hong Kong with less than a working day to prepare their reply to the telegram, we put the deadline back as far as possible, usually leaving ourselves a minimum of 3 hours to meet the Parliamentary Unit's deadline. It should be emphasised, however, that while it is possible to deal with urgent Questions within this time scale, it would clog the system if we tried to deal with all Questions on this basis.

6. We are always very grateful when answers are received in advance of the deadline.

/7.