TNAG-1324-FCO40-1736-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1984 — Page 76

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OO TOKYO

GRS 179

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 25190OZ APR 84

TO IMMEDIATE TOKYO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 238 OF 25 APRIL

FOR SECRETARY OF STATE FROM MR LUCE

•

HONG KONG TIMING OF DEBATE

MIKK040131

REDLIVED IN RE

27 APR 1934

जी

1.

THE WHIPS OFFICE HAVE AGREED THAT WE SHOULD GO FOR ̈A DEBATE FOR THE ADJOURNMENT OF THE HOUSE, BUT ARE PROPOSING THAT IT SHOULD NOT TAKE PLACE UNTIL 16 MAY.

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2. MY OWN VIEW IS THAT THIS IS LEAVING IT TOO LONG. INTEREST IN THE HOUSE IN YOUR STATEMENT IN HONG KONG HAS 30 FAR BEEN MUTED: THE ORAL QUESTION I TOOK THIS AFTERNOON ON HONG KONG DID NOT SPARK OFF MUCH

EXCITEMENT. IN ANOTHER 3 WEEKS, IT WILL ALL SEEM VERY STALE UNLESS, OF COURSE, THERE HAVE BEEN DRAMATIC DEVELOPMENTS IN THE INTERVAL.

3. AS AGAINST THIS, THE BUSINESS MANAGERS DO HAVE A REAL DIFFICULTY. THE NEXT 2 WEEKS ARE ALREADY OVERLOADED. MAKING TIME ON 3 MAY WOULD MEAN SHIFTING THE FINANCE BILL, AND THEY ARE UNDERSTANDABLY RELUCTANT TO DO THIS.

4. MY INTENTION, ASSUMING YOU AGREE, IS TO CONTINUE TO PRESS FOR THE 3 MAY SLOT, THOUGH I MAY NOT WIN. HOWEVER, I WOULD WELCOME YOUR VIEWS FOR RETURNING TO THE CHARGE, WHICH I WILL HAVE TO DO EARLY TOMORROW (THURSDAY) MORNING.

HOWE

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DISTRIBUTION

LIMITED

PARL UNIT

HEAD HKD

PS

PS/MR LUCE

COPIES TO

SIR P CRADOCK

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