TNAG-1330-FCO40-1757-Future-of-Hong-Kong-test-of-the-acceptability-of-the-Joint-D-1984 — Page 134

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DD 1701002 HONG KONG

GRS 371

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 170100Z

FM FCO 161700Z OCTOBER 84

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

17 OCT 1984

VICER

GUISTRY

action laken

PA

JAL

18

TELEGRAM NUMBER 2078 OF 16 OCTOBER

FOLLOWING FROM GALSWORTHY FOR GOVERNOR.

YOUR TELNO 3222: ASSESSMENT COMMISSIONERS' REPORT ON TEST OF

ACCEPTABILITY

1.

WE HAVE DISCUSSED YOUR LETTER OF 4 OCTOBER WITH MINISTERS.

2. OUR GENERAL VIEW IS THAT THERE IS MUCH IN THE VERY

INTERESTING REPORT ON PUBLIC VIEWS ON THE GREEN PAPER ON WHICH WE

CAN BUILD, BUT THAT THE DIFFERENCE IN SUBJECT MATTER WILL MEAN

THAT THE REPORT ON THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THE AGREEMENT WILL

INEVITABLY HAVE TO DIVERGE FROM THE OTHER REPORT IN A NUMBER OF

SIGNIFICANT ASPECTS. THE CENTRAL DIFFERENCE SEEMS TO US TO BE

THAT IN THE REPORT ON ACCEPTABILITY, EMPHASIS NEEDS TO BE GIVEN

TO ONE CRUCIAL QUESTION, THE OVERALL ACCEPTABILITY OF THE

AGREEMENT. ALTHOUGH IT IS CLEARLY NECESSARY FOR THE REPORT TO

COVER ADEQUATELY AND CONVINCINGLY COMMENTS THAT ARE

OFFERED ON INDIVIDUAL ASPECTS OF THE

AGREEMENT, THEY MUST COME SECOND TO THE ANSWER TO THE MAIN

QUESTION.

3. WE DO NOT THINK THAT THE REPORT SHOULD ATTEMPT TO SUMMARISE

THE AGREEMENT, AS THE SPECIMEN DOES THE GREEN PAPER. ANY SUMMARY OF

IT IS BOUND TO BE RISKY.

CHAPTER 2 OF THE SPECIMEN REPORT SEEMS A GOOD MODEL FOR

DESCRIBING THE RESPONSE TO THE REQUEST FOR OPINIONS.

4.

5.

THE EQUIVALENT OF CHAPTER 3 WILL CLEARLY NEED TO RECORD

ANSWERS ON THE GENERAL QUESTION OF ACCEPTABILITY OF THE AGREEMENT

AS A WHOLE AND TO HIGHLIGHT THESE BEFORE IT GOES ON TO RECORD

COMMENTS ON INDIVIDUAL ASPECTS OF THE AGREEMENT.

MUCH THE SAME COMMENT GOES FOR

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