TNAG-1237-FCO40-1550-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 39

香港總督府

MKK040||

RAZIVED

LESK

INDEX

0 8 APR 1983

CONFIDENTIAL

Replied

1615

Dam Dick,

5040/1

PERSONAL

GOVERNMENT HOUSE

HONG KONG

22 April 1983

683

Mr. Morris 1011~

Pl. speah

Enlis & pa 6/15 29/4

I had meant to write to you a little while ago about

a point which arose when Lord Shepherd was here. During his visit Lord Shepard had dinner with six or seven Unofficials including Sir S Y Chung. During dinner Lord Shepherd enquired whether any unofficial U.K. group, with access to the Prime Minister, had undertaken to work for Hong Kong. He was told that the only political group was Sir Paul Bryan's UK/HK Parliamentary Group. Lord Shepherd urged strongly that some further group be established and suggested that Jack Cater could advise on its composition. He considered that it should be relatively small, drawn from both public and business life, which could when necessary gain access to the Prime Minister. He thought Lord MacLehose and Lord Carrington (if the latter could be persuaded to join) could be excellent candidates.

When Sir S Y Chung told me of this I said that my advice to the Unofficials was not to pursue this idea. I did not think that the Prime Minister needed or would welcome the organisation of a pressure group of this kind at the present time. It would cut across the good work which Sir Paul Bryan and others in the Parliamentary Group were doing on behalf of Hong Kong and, in any case, Unofficials had a direct channel for their views through me to the Secretary of State and the Prime Minister.

I cannot therefore see what any new group could

contribute.

R D Clift Esq F.C.0.

CONFIDENTIAL

ши

Jams

Teddy