TNAG-1752-FCO40-2472-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1988 — Page 142

CONFIDENTIAL

letter to Mr Martin Lee, defending the Government's handling of the review of representative government;

(a) Provision of Written Material to Backbenchers

I have discussed this with Mr Houston, and am putting together material which can be used in the preparation of briefing material for Government backbenchers.

3.

Ministers will in addition wish to consider action in the

following areas:

(a) Contact with The Opposition

I have already drawn attention to Hong Kong telno 146, which records Mr Foulkes as suggesting to the Governor that Mr Kaufman will wish to talk to the Secretary of State before the debate.

(b) Contact with Backbenchers

A further possibility is some form of informal background

This could be directed elt for interested backbenchers. Conservative backbenchers alone, or towards members of Parliamentary Group. I suggest that the latter might bes appropriate: it is the Opposition backbenchers who are a unknown factor. This briefing might take the form of int drinks given either by the Secretary of State,if his p

Again Ministers will permits, or another Minister.

the advantages of this against the risk that it could panic or overkill;

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