TNAG-1262-FCO40-1602-MPs--letters-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 47

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IVATE AND CONFIDENTIAL

703 PRINCE'S BUILDING

10 November 1983

HONG KONG

TEL: 5.242156

TELEX: 60606 ADVOC HX

Sir Philip Goodhart MP House of Commons

London SW1A OAA

Dear Philip

The concepts of resettlement, and of negotiating a resettlement agreement on the basis that those who choose to go should not be penniless refugees, have both occurred to us, but are in the germinal stage.

What the numbers will be who would wish to go, I have not estimated; it would depend on the terms of the agreement arrived at between Peking and London.

A local newspaper has advocated putting part of the Government's reserves into a resettlement. fund, and I enclose a translation of it. As you say, it is obviously difficult to do this whilst the talks are going on. The whole thing needs thinking out.

As for other ways of financing it, I think it would be ultra vires for the Jockey Club to contribute to it under its "objects" as prescribed in its existing memorandum of association, and altering those objects now will be very difficult.

I think we should see how the talks go in the next two or three months before we develop these ideas on resettlement, and as it is a sound concept, I think it will be a pity to put it forward to the Foreign Office or Downing Street, before it is thought out. It might be shot down in principle, and then it will be difficult to revive it.

I am most heartened by your sentiments. I will come back to you if there are any developments.

Yours ever

tremis

Oswald Cheung

Xcc

Mr L M Davies