TNAG-1325-FCO40-1737-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1984 — Page 170

DD 230100Z HONG KONG

00 PEKING

GRS 293

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 230100Z

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO 221635Z MAY 84

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 928 OF 22 MAY 1984

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

FUTURE OF HONG KONG:

TCC COPY

95

21317

1

HKK040/31

RECEIVED IN, BOISTHY

23 MAY 1984

INDUX

PA

TRY

saun, Taken

и

08 301-

See (95

ADJOURNMENT DEBATE.

1. MR HAL MILLER, MP HAS OBTAINED AN ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON

25 MAY. THE DEBATE WILL LAST SOME 45 MINUTES.

2. MR MILLER HAS TOLD MR LUCE'S OFFICE THAT HE PROPOSES TO

DEVELOP SOME OF THE THEMES FROM HIS INTERVENTION IN THE COMMONS DEBATE ON 16 MAY, WITH PARTICULAR REFERENCE TO 'CONFIDENCE

BUILDING MEASURES' IN HONG KONG. HE LISTED 3 PARTICULAR AREAS:

(A) THE CIVIL SERVICE, AND THE NEED TO PRESERVE THE FABRIC OF THE

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT UP TO 1997:

(B) INTERNAL SECURITY. (IN THE DEBATE ON 16 MAY MR MILLER CALLED

FOR A DEVELOPMENT OF AN INTERNAL SECURITY FORCE TO TAKE OVER

FROM THE BRITISH FORCES WHEN THEY LEAVE, AS A MEANS OF

FORESTALLING THE STATIONING OF PLA UNITS IN HONG KONG):

(C) THE MAINTENANCE OF LAW AND ORDER IN HONG KONG UP TO 1997.

3. YOU WILL KNOW FROM A SEPARATE TELEGRAM THAT MR MILLER HAS TABLED 4 PQS RELATING TO (A) FOR WRITTEN ANSWER ON 24 MAY. IN OUR BRIEFING WE SHALL COVER THE PUBLIC SERVICE, PENSIONS, NATIONAL- ITY AND IMMIGRATION TO THE UK ON STANDARD LINES. ON (B) VERY LITTLE

CAN BE SAID. IT WOULD BE STRONGLY COUNTER-PRODUCTIVE IF

ANYTHING WAS TO BE SAID BY A MINISTER WHICH THE CHINESE COULD

TAKE AS REFLECTING THE DISAGREEMENT ON THIS POINT WITHIN THE

TALKS. BUT THE IDEA OF AN INTERNAL SECURITY FORCE COULD BE

NOTED WITH INTEREST. ON (C) WE SHALL BRIEF IN STANDARD TERMS ON

THE AVOIDANCE OF A 'LAME DUCK ADMINISTRATION' AND IT MAY ALSO BE

NECESSARY TO REFER TO PENSIONS AND DISCRETIONARY REGISTRATION.

GRATEFUL TO KNOW DESKBY 230900Z, IF THERE ARE ANY PARTICULAR

4.

1

CONFIDENTIAL

96