TNAG-1307-FCO40-1664-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 39

OO HONG KONG

GRS 217

RESTRICTED

RESTRICTED

FM F C O 241615Z FEB 84

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 350 OF 24 FEBRUARY

1558

-

. 1

• COPY HKK 040/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

1984

INDEX

沈

HONG KONG: LEGCO DEBATE

1.

COMMERCIAL RADIO (HK) RANG NEWS DEPARTMENT THIS MORNING

ASKING FOR COMMENT ON WHETHER OR NOT

THE FORTHCOMING LEGCO DEBATE WOULD

BREACH THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE TALKS. SPOKESMAN REFUSED TO

COMMENT, BEYOND RESTATING THE GENERAL POLICY ON CONFIDENTIALITY

AND POINTING OUT THAT THE HOUSE OF COMMONS HAD ALREADY DEBATED

HONG KONG WITHOUT BREACHING CONFIDENTIALITY. COMMERCIAL RADIO

WENT ON TO ASK WHETHER LEGCO COULD DEBATE AN 'AGREEMENT' WITH

CHINA AS A MEANS OF APPROVING IT: SPOKESMAN SOOKE ON STANDARD

LINES, POINTING OUT THAT IT WAS WELL KNOWN THAT ANY AQREEMENT

MUST BE ACCEPTABLE TO THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG (AS WELL AS

PARLIAMENT), BUT THAT, AS YET, NO MEANS HAD BEEN DEVISED TO

TEST THIS.

2. COMMERCIAL RADIO WERE OBVIOUSLY WELL BRIEFED ON EXCHANGES

BETWEEN LEGCO AND THE GOVERNOR AND GAVE THE STRONG IMPRESSION

OF FOLLOWING UP A 'GOVERNOR/LEGCO RIFT' STORY. THIS WAS BORNE

OUT BY SUBSEQUENT ENQUIRIES FROM LONDON CORRESPONDENTS OF THE

SCMP AND OTHERS, WHO SAID THE COMMERCIAL RADIO WERE CLAIMING, IN BROADCASTS, THAT A FOREIGN OFFICE SPOKESMAN HAD SAID THAT

HMG 'DISAPPROVED' OF THE FORTHCOMING LEGCO DEBATE. NEWS

DEPARTMENT HAVE DENIED THIS: YOU MAY WISH TO CONFIRM THE DENIAL.

HOWE

FUTURE OF HONG KONG

TARAMED

ED

FED

/PUSD

D/PLANNING STAFF

D/ED/PUSD (MR. FLOWER)

PES.B. (MR WALKER)

LEGAL ADVISER (SIR IAN SINCLAIR

PS

PS/LADY YOUNG

PS/R LUCE

PS/PUS

SIR J BULLARD

SIR W HARDING

YR DONALD

KR FRIGHT

SIR C TICKELL

COPIES TO:

BUCKINGHAM PALACE

PS/LORD PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL

PS/HOME SECRETARY

PS/CHANCELLOR OF THE EXCHEQUER

PS/LORD PRIVY SEAL

PS/SECRETARY FOR TRADE & INDUSTRY

COPIES TO: (VIA ADR)

MR ROBERTS

FEWS D

MR BURROWS LEGAL ADVS

MR COLES NO 10 DOWNING ST

MR MARTIN ASSESSMENT STAFF CABINET OFFICE

MR GOODALL CABINET OFFICE

MR BRENNAN CABINET OFFICE

PS/S OF S FOR DEFENCE D PS/ATTORNEY GENERAL

SIR P CRADOCK RM K195

BIR P CRADOCK NO 10 DOWNING STREET

RESTRICTED

131