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Unfortunately,
in Parliament for
and support on the
ethnic minorities
although there was considerable support
this request, it is a little abstruse,
requests for British Citizenship from
and ex-servicemen was even greater. Hong
Kong Unofficials may well in practice acquiesce in
decision not to give way on these two issues, but they are
most unlikely to say so publicly. There must therefore be
s ome doubt about whether a concession on the endorsement
issue alone will be sufficient to overcome parliamentary
difficulties. (I understand that Lady Young believes that
there could be serious difficulties in the Lords if no
concessions are made.)
6.
be.
I do not think that we are in a position to press the
Home Secretary to make concessions in these two areas as
yet, partly because no one is entirely clear exactly what
the full implications would
Relevant statistics are
very hard to come by. Hence the proposal that the effect
of concessions in these areas should be studied further
urgently with the Hong Kong Government. Whether or not we
eventually make concessions this exercise, which will
become public, will demonstrate that we are sincere in
saying that we will
in the light of
reconsider the Order
Hong Kong opinion and the two debates.
7.
Before he left
he left for the Far East we
about how and when we should
talked informally
to Mr Renton
take these issues
up with the Home Secretary, and showed him a preliminary
draft of the letter. He was in general content with it,
but suggested that it might be best to wait until he
returned from Hong Kong so that he could report on opinion
there. On consideration, I think that it is more important
to get matters moving quickly here, partly SO that Hong
Kong can be told that we are doing so, but also because
there is otherwise a danger of Home Office thinking
advancing further without our having made an input. We
that Home Office officials are considering possible
concessions, though there is doubt whether the top echelons
in the Home Office or Ministers there are yet convinced
know
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