TNAG-1324-FCO40-1736-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1984 — Page 161

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- MAR 1984

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GPS 265

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 020205Z MAR 84

TO ROUTINE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON TELEGRAM NUMBER 247 OF 2 MARCH 1984

FROM HOME AFFAIRS BRANCH

EARLY DAY MOTION ON FUTURE OF HONG KONG

COP

TOP COP

ра

74513

YOUR TELEXES 281 OF 23 FEB AND 297 OF 24 FEB. WE NOTE THAT OF THE 27 SIGNATURES TO THIS MOTION 13 ARE NEW TO THE HOUSE, AND 9 HAVE LESS THAN 7 YEARS IN THE HOUSE, LEAVING ONLY 5 WHO HAVE ANY SUBSTANTIAL PARLIAMENTARY BACKGROUND. WE NOTE ALSO THAT OF THE 14 SIGNATORIES OTHER THAN NEW MEMBERS, ROTH NOTES QUOTE FANATICAL RICHT-WING UNQUOTE, QUOTE RIGHT-WING POPULIST UNQUOTE, QUOTE GUT RIGHTWINGER, ANTI-IMMIGRATION UNQUOTE, QUOTE RIGHT-WINGER UNQUOTE, QUOTE RIGHT-WINGER, ANTI- IMMIGRATION UNQUOTE, QUOTE INTENSELY IMPERIAL RIGHTWINGER UN- QUOTE, QUOTE RIGHT-WINGER, ANTI-IMMIGRATION UNQUOTE AND QUOTE RIGHT-WINGER, ANTI-IMMIGRATION UNQUOTE FOR 3 OF THEM. SEVERAL OF THE 13 NEW MEMBER SIGNATORIES ARE ALSO CLEARLY OF THE ANTI-IMMIGRATION FAR RIGHT. FINALLY, THE LACK OF PREVIOUS INTEREST IN HONG KONG AMONG THESE 27 IS VERY MARKED - ONLY 3 HAVE VISITED HERE AS MPS (AND ONE OF THEM ONLY ON A MOD VISIT TO TROOPS HERE), ONLY TWO HAVE SPOKEN OR RAISED POS ON HONG KONG RELAED MATTERS DURING THE LAST SEVERAL YEARS, AND ONLY TWO ARE MEMBERS OF THE ANGLO-HONG KONG PARLIAMENTARY GROUP. THE ONLY SIGNATORY WITH ANY SUBSTANTIAL RECORD OF INTEREST IS SIR PATRICK WALL, WHO VISITED HERE PRIVATELY IN 1980, HAS RAISED SEVERAL PQS ON VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN THE LAST TWO YEARS, AND SWHO IS A MEMBER OF THE PARLIAMENTARY GROUP. 23 OF THE 27 HAVE NO RECORD OF PREVIOUS INTEREST IN HONG KONG THAT WE CAN DISCERN AT ALL.

YOUDE

MINIMAL

HKD

COPIES TO:

H.K.G.O. LONDON

CONFIDENTIAL