TNAG-1296-FCO40-1651-Visits-by-members-of-the-Office-of-the-Unofficial-Members-of-1984 — Page 35

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MR

WILSON

Reg

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((79)

HKD Pre obtai

ppt and netura

DD FCO 100900Z

* GPS400

RESTRICTED

DESKBY 1009OCZ

FM HONG KONG 10034DZ DEC 84

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

но

TELEGRAM NUMBER 3746 OF 010 DECEMBER

1 The

We has

betty

chealy an

legal

YOUR TELNO 2451

PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION

to me!!

xi

11/12.

the 1958

write him,

I have discus X west Bus

• UMELCO VISIT VI let him

to give a formal legal wie whit we in out in a verb QUESTION (A). SOME MEMBERS OF THE UMELCO DELEGATION ALSO INTEND TO ATTEND THE DEBATE ON THE DRAFT AGREEMENT IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS ON 10 DECEMBER. YOU MAY WISH TO ADD A SUITABLE REFERENCE TO THIS AT THE END OF YOUR PROPOSED REPLY.

ક્

2. QUESTION (B). THE ESTIMATED COST OF THE RECENT VISIT OF UMELCO MEMBERS TO LONDON IS APPROX. DOLLARS 500,000 (APPROX. POUNDS 52,600). THIS WILL BE MET BY THE HONG KONG LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL FROM THE PUBLIC FUNDS APPROPRIATED EACH YEAR FOR THE EXPENSES OF THE UMELCO OFFICE.

3. FOR BACKGROUND, THE BREAKDOWN OF THE ESTIMATED COST IS AS FOLLOWS :-

(A) AIR FARES - DOLLARS 189,000 (B) HOTELS - DOLLARS 106,000 (C) SUBSISTENCE - DOLLARS 45,000 (D) TRAVEL EXPENSES IN BRITAIN

-

DOLLARS 76,900

(E) OTHER EXPENSES (1.E. ADMINISTRATIVE COSTS, HIRE OF SECRETARIES,

RECEPTION, ETC) - DOLLARS 84,000

4. UNOFFICIALS ARE NOT OF COURSE, PAID. THEY MAY CLAIM UP TO HKD 8,700 PER MONTH FOR EXPENSES INCURRED ON UMELCO BUSINESS. THE COST OF THE VISIT OF THE DELEGATION TO LONDON IS A PERFECTLY LEGITIMATE CHARGE TO THE RELEVANT EXPENDITURE HEAD (SEE HEAD 112, SUB-HEAD 113 AND THE GENERAL MEMORANDUM NOTE ON PAGE 6 OF THE 1985/86 ESTIMATES)

5. ON A POINT OF PRINCIPLE, I AM DOUBTFUL WHETHER IT IS APPROPRIATE FOR A PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION TO BE ASKED ABOUT THE WAY IN WHICH THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT SPENDS ITS FUNDS, BEARING IN MIND THE DELEGATION OF FINANCIAL AUTONOMY TO HONG KONG BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE IN 1953 (COLONIAL OFFICE DESPATCH NO. 96 OF 14 JANUARY 1950 REFERS), IF YOU AGREE WITH ME, I SUGGEST THAT THE REPLY TO QUESTION (B) SHOULD BE PHRASED ON THE FOLLOWING LINES :-

BEGINS. THE AMOUNT THAT THE VISIT COST IS A MATTER FOR THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, AS IT CONCERNS THE EXPENDITURE OF PUBLIC FUNDS APPROPRIATED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL OF HONG KONG TO MEET THE EXPENSES OF THE UMELCO OFFICE. ENDS.

HADDON-CAVE

Elig kay

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