TNAG-1263-FCO40-1606-Parliamentary-contacts-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 108

Briefe prondlo

X

MKK090/16

VED IN MEGIATNY

27 UCT 1983

OFFICER

FA

Private Secretary

FUTURE OF HONG KONG:

1.

CONFIDENTIAL

STRY

mim Taken

ان

FROM:

DATE:

ec:

Mr. Hum.4. Mr. Mayis

H B Warren-Gash

21 October 1983

PS/Lady Young

刘心

A

хамт

PS/Mr Raison (for para 4) No danho

PS/Mr Rifkind

Mr Houston

PS/PUS

Mr Giffard

Mr Donald

Mr Clift, HKD

mean

jecoute,

short caracte

All ven helpful

See exp x/of which

시어

l exped we will hear

mare

id.c.

BRIEFING OF CONSERVATIVE BACK BENCHERS

Mr Luce held a meeting yesterday with Sir Peter Blaker, Mr Goodlad (Government Whip in charge of foreign affairs matters), and Mr Colvin (his PPS) on Hong Kong. He briefed them along the lines suggested in Mr Clift's submission of 19 October, and then went on to discuss with them how best to handle Parliamentary interest in Hong Kong (which Sir P Blaker warned would be keen, with a good cross-section of back benchers having visited Hong Kong during the summer recess) in the new Session.

е

2. Sir P Blaker (who is, inter alia, Chairman of the all party Committee on Hong Kong) emphasised that back benchers would not react well to being kept completely in the dark on developments. An early Ministerial statement on Hong Kong would be helpful. He thought that a suitable opportunity should also be taken to bring members of the Conservative Foreign Affairs Committee more into the picture. The Secretary of State's forthcoming talk to them might provide one such occasion. As far as further briefing on the background to the problem was concerned, Sir P Blaker thought that this was a good idea, but one which would need careful handling. He offered to let it be known that the FCO could provide such a brief on demand, and to feed back any requests: He thought this would safeguard us from subsequent accusations of having attempted to bear-lead Parliamentary opinion. It was agreed that he should proceed accordingly.

3.

There was some discussion of how to take forward the question of briefing Opposition MPs. Sir P Blaker thought that the best way might be for a Minister to address the all party Committee on Hong Kong before too long. Mr Luce said that he was willing in principle to take this on.

24/10

CONFIDENTIAL

/4.

See (55