OO PEKING
GRS 327
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FUTURE EGRET
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FM FCO 171635Z AUGUST 84
TO IMMEDIATE PEKING
TELEGRAM NUMBER 967 OF 17 AUG 84
INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
FOLLOWING FOR BURROWS FROM GALSWORTHY
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PCOLIVED IN JENNY-
20 AUG 1984
JAL
16
UK LEGISLATION ON HONG KONG
1. I AM TOLD THAT DURING THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO PEKING LAST MONTH, YOU WERE ASKED TO GIVE SOME THOUGHT TO THE CONTENT AND TIMING OF LEGISLATION NEEDED AT WESTMINSTER TO ENABLE US TO RATIFY WHATEVER AGREEMENT COMES OUT OF THE PRESENT NEGOTIATIONS. YOU ARE BETTER PLACED THAN ANYONE ELSE TO MAKE PROPOSALS IN THIS CONNECTION, AND I THOUGHT IT BEST TO CONSULT YOU AT LONG RANGE BEFORE WE TOOK THE MATTER ANY FURTHER WITH LEGAL ADVISERS, AND THEN WITH MINISTERS HERE.
2.
THE PARTICULAR POINTS WHICH WE ARE CONSIDERING ARE:
(A) THE LIKELY LENGTH OF A HONG KONG BILL:
(B) WHAT ELEMENTS THE HONG KONG BILL WOULD NEED TO COVER:
(C) WHETHER IN PARTICULAR IT WOULD BE NECESSARY OR DESIRABLE TO LEGISLATE SEPARATELY ON ANY OF THE MATTERS COVERED IN THE AGREEMENT (FOR EXAMPLE NATIONALITY):
(D) HOW MUCH TIME WE SHOULD CALCULATE AS BEING NECESSARY FOR ALL
THE STAGES OF THE LEGISLATION, FROM INTRODUCTION TO ROYAL ASSENT. THIS IS OBVIOUSLY VERY MUCH A MATTER FOR THE BUSINESS MANAGERS, BUT IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO KNOW HOW YOU SEE THINGS. AS YOU KNOW, THE SECRETARY OF STATE IS THINKING IN TERMS OF RATIFYING THE AGREEMENT ON HONG KONG BY JULY
1985.
3. OUR PRESENT LEGAL ADVISERS HAVE NOTED THAT CERTAIN THINGS TO BE DONE UNDER A HONG KONG BILL COULD THEORETICALLY BE DONE BY
IT WOULD TAKING A POWER IN THE BILL TO MAKE ORDERS IN COUNCIL.
BE HELPFUL TO KNOW HOW FAR IN PRACTICE YOU FEEL IT WOULD BE
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