TNAG-1295-FCO40-1650-Visits-by-members-of-the-Office-of-the-Unofficial-Members-of-1984 — Page 66

Mr. Powelt

м.

Sir P Cr

Cradock Private/Secretary

Uster

CONFIDENTIAL

HICK 026/11

RECEIVEČ KUHEMSIRY

INL

Tel sent

VISIT OF UMELCO DELEGATION

12 NOV 1984

*FACERFROM:

Pu

134)

w.

AG GALSWORTHY, HKD

DATE: 8 November 1984

cc: PS/Mr Luce

Dr Wilson

sent, offering call Wednesd

am

amy

1.

9/4

As you know, a UMELCO delegation intends to visit London in the week of the debate in the House of Commons. They will arrive on

London on 1 December.

133

2.

The

The Governor has now asked that the delegation should be seen by Ministers before their contacts with Members of Parliament. UMELCO delegation which came here during the last parliamentary debate in May was received by both Mr Luce and the

Secretary of State. There is much to be said for their seeing

Ministers on this occasion also. Unfortunately the

Secretary of State and the Prime Minister will be in Dublin on 3 and

4 December. I think that the best answer is therefore for Mr Luce

to receive the delegation as early as possible on 3 December.

3.

I think it would be helpful if the Secretary of State could

receive the delegation before the parliamentary debate takes place. Unfortunately there is a strong possibility that the debate will

start on 5 December. In this case I understand that the

Secretary of State would not wish to receive the delegation on the morning of Wednesday 5 December, since he will wish to be working on his speech. I wonder therefore whether it would be possible for the Secretary of State to receive the delegation on the evening of

4 December on his return from Dublin, and possibly even to give them

dinner as he did with the EXCO delegation in September.

4.

The Governor asks whether the Prime Minister will receive the

delegation. This is the first mention he has made of a call on the Prime Minister. I do not think that we could represent it as

essential that she should see the delegation. On the other hand it

is possible that she might wish to, and it would certainly be well received if she did. But I think that before approaching No 10 it

/would

CONFIDENTIAL