CONFIDENTIAL
Ethiopia
Mr Howell said a small group of FAC members would visit the Horn, but this enquiry would be on a smaller scale than the Gulf. The Secretary of State warned against any attempt to enter Eritrea or Tigre from Sudan. Mr Howell undertook to pass this on.
Role of FAC
Mr Howell said that his original conception of Select Committees had been as exercising some budgetary control on spending departments. Instead they had too often been lobbyists for extra public spending in their areas. The FAC had not been spotless in this regard.
Mr Howell asked which FAC studies had been most useful. The Secretary of State commended the detailed one on diplomatic immunity. "Cultural diplomacy" had been far less
helpful.
Hong Kong
Mr Howell said his instinct was that the FAC should keep clear of this subject, leaving the FCO and the Government to walk the tightrope. He noted the extent to which Mr Martin Lee and other skilful Hong Kong lobbyists were able to impress MPs. His own view was that people like Lee had to be soothed "even beyond the bounds of patience".
South Africa
The Secretary of State said that although South Africa had had a higher profile last year, there was now a better perception that time would be needed and that sanctions could not be the answer. Mr Howell agreed, but commented that many Conservative members were unhappy about our policy towards Mozambique. The Secretary of State explained that we were nudging Mozambique away from dependence on Russia, and that our policy was welcomed by other Front Line States. We had to rival the seduction which the USSR exercised on the Mozambique Government. Mr Howell did not look
convinced.
B
Finally there was a short and inconclusive discussion of Boputhatswana and the other Homelands.
Retorn Oxx
7 January 1988
DJEAAP
(R N Culshaw)
/cc:
CONFIDENTIAL
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