TNAG-1263-FCO40-1606-Parliamentary-contacts-on-the-future-of-Hong-Kong-1983 — Page 164

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2. I agree of course that it will be most important, as our negotiations proceed and a solution begins to emerge, for the Government to carry the Labour Party and the Alliance with it as far as possible.

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As a way of preparing the ground, the Prime Minister agreed earlier this year that Dr Owen, Mr Steel and Mr Healey should be given a general briefing, on Privy Councillor terms, on the future of Hong Kong, including an account of our position on sovereignty. Mr Steel and Doctor Owen were briefed by Mr Pym on 5 May. Mr Healey was to have been briefed soon after but the General Election intervened.

4. We have already considered whether we should now brief Mr Healey (who is still the obvious candidate for such a briefing within the Labour Party, pending the election of a new party leader). However, the problem at the moment is that it would be very difficult to brief any Opposition figures while Ministers are still reviewing and discussing with EXCO our basic strategy.

5.

I am sure that we should not leave it too long to brief Mr Healey and to speak to the SDP and Liberals again, but I recom- mend that we review this after the next round of talks, the subsequent discussions with EXCO and Ministers' decisions. This means in practice the beginning of October.

Bip

9 September 1983

SECRET

R D Clift

Hong Kong Department

MKKO 40/16

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