TNAG-1330-FCO40-1757-Future-of-Hong-Kong-test-of-the-acceptability-of-the-Joint-D-1984 — Page 63

CONFIDENTIAL

10. On the other hand there would be some advantages

in terms of

public presentation in publishing all the submissions to the

Assessment Office: they would demonstrate public support for the

agreement in Hong Kong, and they would show that we have nothing to

hide. Moreover I see force in Hong Kong's assertion that it would

be difficult and invidious to try to choose which submissions to

print.

11. I think that the best

answer to this dilemma is not to include

any of the submissions in the White Paper, which should be confined

to the actual report of the Assessment Office and the report of the

Monitors. We should however lay bound copies of all the submissions

in the Libraries of both Houses at the time that the report itself

was laid before Parliament. We could notify the House that this had

been done through an inspired PQ. These documents could be

reproduced from typescript, thus avoiding the physical problems of

printing. We could also make copies available to the press on

demand.

12. There may be more demand in Hong Kong for publication of the

detailed evidence submitted to the Office.

If so,

I would see no

objection to their publishing the documents as a separate volume or

volumes. Indeed there would be the advantage that we would then use

their printed text to lay before Parliament.

7 November 1984

Kalm

A C Galsworthy

Hong Kong Department

CONFIDENTIAL