TNAG-1365-FCO40-1811-Hong-Kong-Legislative-Council-(Powers-and-Privileges)-Bill-1-1985 — Page 34

GR 250

CONFIDENTIAL

DESKBY 240800Z

CCNFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG 240620Z JUN 85

TO IMMEDIATE F C O

TELEGRAM NUMBER 1251 OF 24 JUNE

INFO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG COVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON

YOUR TELNO

(44)

TOP COPY

LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL (POWERS AND PRIVILEGES) BILL

ALTHOUGH MUCH OF THE RECENT CRITICISM OF THIS BILL HAS BEEN CONCERNED WITH GENERALITIES, HARVEY STOCKWIN HAS NOW RAISED SPECIFIC CRITICISMS OF CLAUSE 14(2) IN AN ARTICLE PUBLISHED IN THE SOUTH CHINA MORNING POST ON 23 JUNE. A COPY OF THIS ARTICLE IS BEING SENT TO YOU URGENTLY VIA THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE, LONDON BY FACSIMILE.

2. SINCE YOU HAVE BEEN CLOSELY INVOLVED IN THE DRAFTING OF THIS CLAUSE AND MUCH OF IT HAS BEEN INCLUDED AT YOUR SUGGESTION, YOU MAY WISH TO CONSIDER THIS ARTICLE AND LET US HAVE YOUR COMMENTS AND ANY POINTS YOU WOULD WISH US TO MAKE IN ITS DEFENCE. WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR THESE DESKBY 25010OZ JUNE.

3. STOCKWIN'S ARTICLE WAS WRITTEN WITHOUT KNOWLEDGE OF THE FURTHER AMENDMENT TO CLAUSE 14(2) PROPOSED IN TUR. THIS TOO WILL NEED TO BE CAREFULLY JUSTIFIED.

4. WE MAY HAVE FURTHER COMMENTS OF OUR OWN ONCE TYPHOON HAL NOW

OVER HONG KONG HAS MOVED ON AND THOSE CONCERNED ARE ABLE TO GET IN

TO WORK.

POINTS THAT SPRING TO MIND ARE:

(A) CAN 14(2) AS A WHOLE REALLY BE JUSTIFIED?

(B) DOES THE REFERENCE TO THE RESPONSIBILITIES OF HMG EXCLUDE

THOSE OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT?

(C) CAN THE FURTHER AMENDMENT TO 14(2) AS PROPOSED IN TUR BE

JUSTIFIED?

YOUDE

LIMITEO

HKD

PS

PS/MR LUCE

MR WILSON

SIR. W. HARDING.

COPES TO

MR FIFOOT LEGAL ADV

HEGO

LONDON.

CONFIDENTIAL

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HICK 011/12

LD IN REGISTRY

2 4 JUN1985

OFFICER

PA

Ca

REGISTRY

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