TNAG-1330-FCO40-1757-Future-of-Hong-Kong-test-of-the-acceptability-of-the-Joint-D-1984 — Page 176

MISS DUNN:

CONFIDENTIAL

YES SIR. I AM SORRY, GIVEN THE CONCERN EXPRESSED ABOUT CONFIDENTIALITY, IS THE GOVERNMENT SATISFIED THAT THE

PRESENT PROCEDURE WOULD NOT INHIBIT PEOPLE FROM COMING FORWARD

WITH THEIR VIEWS.

THE PRESIDENT:

YOU MEAN THE INTENDED PROCEDURE.

MISS DUNN:

YES, THE INTENDED PROCEDURE, I BEG YOUR PARDON.

SHA:

I THINK I CAN'T ANSWER THAT QUESTION BECAUSE IT MUST BE

PUT TO THE PEOPLE WHO HAVE THIS PROBLEM IN THEIR MIND. WHAT I

CAN SAY IS THAT I'M QUITE SATISFIED THAT THE PRCODURE PROPOSED WILL

NOT LEAD TO THE DIVULGING OF NAMES PREMATURELY. BY PREMATURELY I

DON'T MEAN IN A MATTER OF WEEKS, I'M TALKING ABOUT MANY MANY YEARS,

AND I DO NOT THINK THIS WILL HAPPEN UNDER THE INTENDED PROCEDURE

OR CAUSE ANY EMBARRASSMENT.

MR. ALLEN LEE:

ARE THERE ANY PROVISIONS FOR DESTROYING SUCH

DOCUMENTS IN THE UK IN THIS CASE?

SHA:

I AM AFRAID I AM NOT FAMILIAR ENOUGH WITH THE ACT TO GIVE

YOU AN ANSWER TO THAT QUESTION, BUT AS I UNDERSTAND IT, THEY ARE

NOT NORMALLY DESTROYED.

MRS. CHOW: SIR, IF THERE ARE SPECIFIC REQUESTS BY PEOPLE WHO SUBMITTED THEIR VIEWS THAT THEIR DOCUMENTS BE DESTROYED WITHIN,

SAY A CERTAIN PERIOD, OF SAY A YEAR, WOULD SUCH SUBMISSIONS BE

THEN TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT OR WOULD THEY JUST BE DISMISSED.

SHA:

I THINK I WOULD REQUIRE NOTICE OF THAT QUESTION WHICH GOES WAY BEYOND THE ORIGINAL, AND I WOULD HAVE TO TAKE IT UP SEPARATELY.

I DONT'T KNOW THE ANSWER TO YOUR QUESTION, MRS. CHOW.

2. SEE ALSO MIFT FOR FURTHER COMMENT.

HADDON-CAVE

HONG KONG AGREEMENT

ENDS

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

HD/PLANNING STAFF

HD/PUSD

DEP HD/PUSD

RESEARCH DEPT (MR WALKER)

PS

PS/MR LUCE PS/PUS

SIR W HARD ING

SIR J FREELAND MR BOYD,

COPIES TO: (VIA ADR)

MR ROBERTS, NEWS DEPT

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS MR BURROWS, LEGAL ADVISERS

MR MARTIN, ASST STAFF CABINET

OFFICE

MR CARTLEDGE, CABINET OFFICE MR COLVIN, CABINET OFFICE

SIR P CRADOCK, NO 10 DOWNING ST SIR P CRADOCK, ROOM K195

CONFIDENTIAL