TNAG-1302-FCO40-1658-Visits-by-Richard-Luce--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Co-1984 — Page 52

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027/12

AMCEIVED IN REGISTRY

11 JUL 1984

CONFIDENTIAL

Private Secretary

M. Hun

ひ

FROM H B WARREN-GASH

DATE 6 July 1984

cc: PS/Lady Young PS/Mr Rifkind PS/PUS

Sir P Cradock Sir W Harding Mr Clift, HKD Robocal Dept.

TH COP

FOR

(97)

VISIT TO HONG KONG BY MR LUCE

1. I understand it was agreed at No 10 this afternoon that Mr Luce should visit Hong Kong in advance of the Secretary of State's trip towards the end of this month. The purpose of this minute is to seek formal and financial authority from the Secretary of State to enable the arrangements to be set in hand.

2. Mr Luce was able to discuss dates briefly with the Governor before the latter left for the airport. There are a number of constraints. These include: the timing of the next round of talks (11/12 July); the publication of the Green Paper on Constitutional Developments (18 July); and the Secretary of State's own visit (?25/26 July). Mr Luce and the Governor would both like to reflect further on the possibilities over the weekend. But their initial instinct was that he should aim to fly out on the evening of Wednesday 11 July, arriving the following evening. He would then conduct his business on Friday and Saturday, returning overnight on Saturday or Sunday nights. The alternative would be to fly out over the weekend and return overnight on Tuesday 17 July.

3.

The Ministerial Visits Chart shows that Lady Young will be away throughout the whole period concerned. Mr Rifkind is due to leave for Africa on 14 July. This suggests that the first scenario (leaving next Wednesday evening) would be preferable: but I would be grateful for contingency approval for either set of dates, to take account of any complications at the Hong Kong end.

H. Wowwow.Goom

HB Warren-Gash PS/Mr Luce

CONFIDENTIAL