00 PEKING
GRS 400
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL FUTURE EGRET
221
TOP COPY
17976
HKK
040/46.
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
G
19 NOV 1984
FUTURE EGRET
FM FCO 161700Z NOVEMBER 84
INDRA
-FICER
PA
Re
Action Taken
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 2280 OF 16 NOVEMBER
JAK 2011
1
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
FUTURE EGRET: PUBLICATION OF THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE AND MONITORS' REPORTS
1.
ON FURTHER CONSIDERATION MINISTERS ARE COMING TO ATTACH IMPORTANCE TO PUBLISHING THE WHITE PAPER CONTAINING THE REPORTS OF THE ASSESSMENT OFFICE AND THE INDEPENDENT TEAM OF MONITORS ON THE AFTERNOON OF THURSDAY 29 NOVEMBER, IF AT ALL POSSIBLE. THEY WISH TO ENSURE THAT MPS SEE THE WHITE PAPER BEFORE THEY GO TO THEIR CONSTITUENCIES ON FRIDAY AND WITH SUFFICIENT TIME TO STUDY IT BEFORE THE DEBATE IN THE FOLLOWING WEEK. THEY FEAR THAT IF WE DO NOT GIVE MPS SUFFICIENT TIME TO STUDY THE WHITE PAPER WE
THIS COULD ENCOUNTER CRITICISM FOR TRYING TO RUSH PARLIAMENT. COULD ADVERSELY AFFECT THE ATMOSPHERE OF THE DEBATE.
2. WE BELIEVE THAT IT WOULD BE PHYSICALLY POSSIBLE FOR US TO PRINT AND PUBLISH THE WHITE PAPER IN LIMITED NUMBERS BY 150OZ ON
WE REALISE HOWEVER THAT THURSDAY 29 NOVEMBER, BUT NO EARLIER.
THIS WOULD NOT BE AN ATTRACTIVE TIME FOR PUBLICATION IN HONG KONG. OUR FIRST SOUNDINGS INDICATE THAT IN THEORY THERE WOULD BE NO CONSTITUTIONAL IMPEDIMENT TO PUBLISHING THE WHITE PAPER FIRST IN HONG KONG AS LONG AS IT WAS ONLY A MATTER OF HOURS
WE DO NOT HOWEVER YET KNOW EARLIER THAN PUBLICATION IN LONDON.
WHETHER MINISTERS WOULD AGREE TO THIS, AND THIS MUST BE IN SOME
DOUBT.
3. BEFORE WE SUBMIT TO MINISTERS ON THE QUESTION IT WOULD BE
WOULD YOU BE PHYSICALLY ABLE TO HELPFUL TO KNOW YOUR REACTIONS.
WOULD YOU BE ABLE TO ACCEPT
PUBLISH ON THURSDAY 29 NOVEMBER? PUBLICATION AT 1500Z IF, SAY, YOU COULD PROVIDE EMBARGOED ADVANCED COPIES OF THE WHITE PAPER TO THE PRESS? TIME IN ADVANCE YOU WOULD NEED TO PUBLISH IN HONG KONG?
IF NOT WHAT IS THE SHORTEST
1
CONFIDENTIAL FUTURE EGRET
+
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.