TNAG-1460-FCO40-1984-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Sino-British-Joint-Declaration-post-rat-1986 — Page 3

CODE 18-77

AWO Ltd. 7/84

Good!

Mr Candle AVS Pada

COVERING SECRET

Reference..

I am not a great believer in check lists. We prepa

S

M

Faith

Mr Smith form of a timetable) and i'm pretty

sure

LAST PAPER

Min the

I certainly

as

to make a

a

way

no-one subsequently

didn't. The point is, I think, that work evolves in such

check list redundant almost at once. I realise this rather lager check list is different, but the same general considerations apply. I've

I've no

objection to HK preparing their own Some use to us. But I don't think we have the resources

checklist. And if

may

not CHECK LIST: FOURTH EDITION

1.

is

a

a

be of to dente much time to trytinising theirs & producing our own. Nor do we used one. We're

going to dorget what needs to be done. My conchesion is there fore: No ACTION. Mr. Tsung's better does not require or request a response, and anyway Firstly, we have no trace of the letter of 20 7 mouth delay June 1985 to which Mr Tsang refers in his covering

bit letter and which presumably enclosed the third edition

going of the Check List. We did comment substantively on the Jar! Let us pa first edition in February 1985 but merely acknowledged the the second in April, although at that time we did

pps. mention that we would start preparing a Check List of no doubt gett purely UK points. preparing such a list. However, the current edition of Hong Kong's list contains several points which are more of UK interest than Hong Kong's, e.g.Consulate-General, Garrison, VAAS, UK records and Commonwealth War Graves.

2.

No action has been taken on

Comparing the current list with the first list there are several items which have been overtaken by events and rightly no longer appear.

But of the numerous comments which we made in February last year, a few are not yet reflected in the list. These are:-

on

Section IV,

Public Service: we suggested the inclusion of items

possible funding of Widows and Orphans and Widows and Children pension schemes and the need to maintain the exchange rates of HMOCS Pensions. None of these are included in the latest list. However,

Mr Leeks has

suggested that we do not mention them to Hong Kong as, on the WOPS,

WOPS, Hong Kong does not intend to pursue this for the present and on HMOCS, the HKG have not yet agreed that this is necessary; I agree.

Section VIII. Shipping: we suggested that the items on the flag, the establishment of a Hong Kong Register and the establishment of a system for certification of competence of Cœus.. should be listed in the "early" section because of the need to deal with them before the introduction of the Merchant Shipping Bill. In the current list, the "flag" item is listed as "early" but the other two are still under "medium" term.

Asterisks should be marked against items (a) and (e); and

We will

a

further addition from Hike quite

anyway.

Soon

CATABK

COVERING SECRET

HRK OTEFT 020/10 0707.020/10

RECEIVES

-

- & SEP 1986

INCL