TNAG-1377-FCO40-1825-Future-of-Hong-Kong-legislation-Hong-Kong-Bill-1985 — Page 294

CONFIDENTIAL

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DD 080030Z HONG KONG

GRS 271

CONFIDENTIAL

FUTURE EGRET

DESKBY 080030Z

FM FCO 071710Z JAN 85

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELEGRAM NUMBER 34 OF 7 JANUARY

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM, HKD

HKCK 040/2

CS JAN 1985

YOUR TELNO 40: FUTURE EGRET: HONG KONG BILL: INTRODUCTION

1.

W

808/1

WE ARE RECOMMENDING TO MINISTERS THAT IF APPROVED BY THE LEGISLATION COMMITTEE FOR IMMEDIATE INTRODUCTION THE HONG KONG BILL COULD BE GIVEN ITS FIRST READING AS EARLY AS THURSDAY 10 JANUARY. FIRST READING, AS YOU KNOW, IS SIMPLY A FORMAL OCCASION ON WHICH THE TITLE OF THE BILL IS READ. WE HAVE RECOMMENDED THAT PUBLICATION OF THE TEXT OF THE BILL SHOULD BE DELAYED UNTIL NOON ON FRIDAY 11 JANUARY TO ALLOW YOU TO BRIEF

UMELCO CONFIDENTIALLY ON THE BILL IN GENERAL AND ITS NATIONALITY PROVISIONS IN PARTICULAR JUST BEFORE PUBLICATION. THE INTERVAL BETWEEN FIRST READING AND PUBLICATION COULD NOT, WE FEAR, BE ANY

LONGER.

2.

WE WILL TELEGRAPH THE FINAL TEXT OF THE BILL TO YOU AFTER ITS CONSIDERATION BY MINISTERS ON WEDNESDAY 9 JANUARY, TOGETHER WITH CONFIRMATION OF THE PROPOSED TIMING. IF IT WOULD BE HELPFUL WE COULD TELEPHONE THIS CONFIRMATION TO YOU TO ALLOW YOU TO INFORM

EXCO AND PUT IN HAND ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE UMELCO BRIEFING ON

11 JANUARY.

3.

WE ASSUME THAT YOU ALREADY HAVE SUFFICIENT MATERIAL TO BRIEF UMELCO ON THE BILL. IN ADDITION TO THE MATERIAL IN OUR TELNO 23 YOU MAY ALSO DRAW ON PARAS 1-3 OF THE SEPARATE TELEGRAM WHICH

WE ARE SENDING TODAY IN RESPONSE TO YOUR TELNO 17.

4. YOU SHOULD EMPHASISE THE CONFIDENTIALITY OF THE BRIEFING, AND MAKE IT CLEAR THAT NO LEAKS ON THE CONTENT OF THE BILL SHOULD

PRECEDE ITS PUBLICATION. THESE COULD CAUSE CONSIDERABLE

EMBARRASSMENT WITH PARLIAMENT.

HOWE

LIMITED

HD/HKD

HD/FED

MR WILSON

SIR W HARDING

COPIES TO:-

SIR P CRADOCK

MR FIFOOT LEGAL ADVISERS ME BURROWS

LEGAL ADVISERS

CONFIDENTIAL

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