TNAG-1154-FCO40-1434-Visits-by-Members-of-Parliament-(MPs)-to-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 256

CONFIDENTIAL

Ник

02612

2 - JUN 1732

SELECT COMMITTEE ON DEFENCE

B.

1.

No

2/6

fam 216

49

Mr Butler's minute of 24 May and Mr Elliott's of 26 May. For Hong Kong I suggest that the Committee members should be given copies of our General Brief on Hong Kong and should be briefed orally by you on more sensitive'issues.

2. These should include the future of Hong Kong. It is important that they should realise how much potentially damaging speculation can be set off by remarks made by influential visitors; we must encourage them to word their findings with this in mind.

3.

Mr Davies (Secretary for Security) has asked (his letter of 10 May) that we should try to steer the Committee away from anything which might spark off suspicion that 'current and future roles of the British forces and the Defence Costs Agreement are now being examined by the Select Committee'. We cannot be seen to try to influence the Committee on issues which are obviously their business but we could stress how sensitive Hong Kong opinion would be to anything which might indicate change in or doubts about HMG's commitment to Hong Kong or about the Defence Costs Agreement

concluded in October 1980.

Бир

27 May 1982

c.c. Mr Elliott, FED

Mr Weston, Defence Dept

Mr Burns, SEAD

R D Clift

i

Hong Kong and General Department

CONFIDENTIAL

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