TNAG-1309-FCO40-1666-Future-of-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 73

CONFIDENTIAL

P.

V

Mr Clift, Hong Kong Department

- יי

HKK040/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 1 1 APR 1984

DESK OFFICER

ODEX

REGISTRY Action Taken

276

Hong Kong: Parliamentary Handling

(263)

The Secretary of State has seen your minute of 3 April about your conversation with Sir J Cater. He agrees that Sir P Bryan should be steered away from initiating a debate at this stage, and would be grateful if Mr Luce could speak to him on return along the lines proposed. The Secretary of State will follow this up with a word at the briefing of MPS on Hong Kong which we are arranging on 12 April.

The Secretary of State spoke to the Chief Whip in the House last night about the possibility of a debate on Hong Kong in the fortnight following his return from the Far East. The Chief Whip suggested that we need to secure Mr Healey's agreement to the idea in addition to that of the Leader of the House. If we do this, Mr Healey could then ask in low key for a debate once the Secretary of State's statement in Hong Kong had been made, and the Government would be in a position to agree. An arrangement on these lines should exclude the risk of a premature oral statement in the House after Easter. The Secretary of State also discussed with the Chief Whip the length of a debate. The Secretary of State said that his impression was that a half-day debate would be sufficient.

We shall be arranging for the Secretary of State to see Mr Healey and Messrs Steel and Owen (together) before we leave for the Far East.

4 April 1984

cc: PS/Mr Luce

PS/PUS

Sir P Cradock

Dr Wilson

Mr Goulden, News Dept Mr Orr, FED

Parliamentary Unit

(P F Ricketts)

Micketts

Mr. Hum

4

Mr. Pawell 1964.

For our

briefy

for the talk with

oxposition leaders

CONFIDENTIAL