TNAG-1717-FCO40-2397-Hong-Kong-1987-Review-of-Representative-Government-1988 — Page 14

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TELNO 327

OF 04170OZ FEBRUARY 88

INFO PRIORITY PEKING

aci

CONFIDENTIAL

TOP COPY a DIST

HUMBoull

G

·5 FEB 1988

040701

MDHOAN 8090

YOUR TELNO 74 TO HKGO:

REPRESENTATIVE

GOVERNMENT:

WHITE PAPER

WE SHOULD LET YOU KNOW WHAT WE ARE DOING IN PREPARATION FOR PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER.

1.

2.

MINISTERS WILL ANSWER AN INSPIRED WRITTEN PQ ON 10 FEBRUARY TO INFORM PARLIAMENT OF PUBLICATION OF THE WHITE PAPER AND ITS MAIN DECISIONS. WE WILL PLACE COPIES OF THE PAPER IN THE LIBRARIES OF BOTH HOUSES. IN ADDITION MINISTERS ARE CONSIDERING INFORMAL BACKGROUND BRIEFING OF KEY BACKBENCHERS.

3.

WE ARE ALSO CONSIDERING WHETHER BACKGROUND PRESS BRIEFING SHOULD BE VOLUNTEERED. IN ANY EVENT WE ARE BOUND TO RECEIVE QUERIES FROM THE PRESS. IT WOULD BE MOST HELPFUL IF YOU WOULD TELEGRAPH US AS SOON AS POSSIBLE A COPY OF ANY BRIEFING MATERIALS YOU MAY HAVE PREPARED, TOGETHER WITH AN ADVANCE TEXT OF THE CHIEF SECRETARY'S STATEMENT (PARA 2 OF TUR REFERS).

HOWE

YYYY

DISTRIBUTION

50

ΜΑΙΝ

49

HONG KONG AGREEMENT RESTRICTED

LIMITED

HKD

HD/FED

RESEARCH (FE)

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/MR EGGAR

PS/PUS

MR MCLAREN

MR GILLMORE

PUSD

ADDITIONAL

1

MR FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISERS

NNNN

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CONFIDENTIAL