TNAG-1366-FCO40-1812-Hong-Kong-Legislative-Council-(Powers-and-Privileges)-Bill-1-1985 — Page 63

FCOAIB

CONFIDENTIAL

2/7/

FROM: A C GALSWORTHY

AMC Vype for Mr. Love DATE: 2 July 1985.

PS Mr Luce

P.

HONG KONG: LETTER FROM MR IVAN LAWRENCE QC MP

Hkkailia

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

- 4 JUL 1985

DESK OFFICER

BOTRY

INDEX

PA

Lacnun Taken

Problem

1. We need to reply to a letter from Mr Ivan Lawrence QC MP from a

"prominent legal friend in Hong Kong" on recent events there.

Recommendation

2. I recommend that we reply on the lines of the attached draft.

Background

From

the content of the letter the legal friend is undoubtedly

3.

He is an acquaintance of the

the Secretary of State, and writes regularly to him in a similar vein. myself have described him as "prominent".

I would not

The four issues mentioned

are a very mixed bag,

i s aware of the

The

but all have been covered in the draft. Mr Luce

background to the Trial of Commercial Crimes Bill 1985 and the

Legislative Council (Powers and Privileges) Bill 1985. reference to the Electronic Road Pricing scheme concerns Hong Kong Government proposals to tax the use of private cars in the more congested parts of Honn Kong: a computerised system would record

each time a car passed a set point in the road, thus enabling monthly bill to be sent to the car - owner.

The scheme

controversia one in Hong Kong (as any taxing proposal is bound to

is still at the stage of technical evaluation and

consultation with District Boards.

be)

-

it

is

a

a

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