CODE 18-77
CONFIDENTIAL
HKK 040/53
13 DEC 1984
Mr Powell, HKD
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DESK OFFICER INDEX
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Reference...
140
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Vaken
HONG KONG BILL
I have this morning toecived copies of FCO telegram to Hong Kong No 2425 of 5 December and Hong Kong telegram to FCO No 3736 (or 3786 or 3796 - my copy is indistinct) of
1.
7 December. I do not think it is necessary for me to comment in detail on this exchange of telegrams between Michael Thomas (Hong Kong Attorney General) and Jeremy Mathews (Acting Attorney General). I should however perhaps record that the text in paragraph 3 of the first telegram would not in my view be satisfactory, because the inclusion of the words "on or" would enable everybody who acquires the new status to be deprived of it. Our object however is only to catch those who on or before 30 June 1997 have lost the status of BDTC. However the formula suggested in the second telegram seems to me to be a neat way of dealing with the problem and I took the liberty of reading it out this morning to Parliamentary Counsel during the course of a telephone conversation about my letter of 7 December. Both de Waal and Pakenham-Walsh (to whom I spoke subsequently) are attracted by it.
Parliamentary Counsel said he would prepare a redraft of the Bill during the course of today. When it arrives you will no doubt wish to telegraph the text to Hong Kong.
2.
Rumors
F Burrows
Legal Counsellor
10 December 1984
CONFIDENTIAL
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