TNAG-1752-FCO40-2472-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1988 — Page 49

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 10100OZ FCO

TELNO 1033

OF 10090OZ MARCH 88

INFO

IMMEDIATE PEKING

CONFIDENTI

HKB O4

11 MAR 1988

TOP COPY Q DIST ?

89

176022

MDHIAN 1359

MIPT: CONSOLIDATED FUND DEBATE IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS

1. HUM TOOK MADAM ZHANG YOUYUN ASIDE BEFORE THIS MORNING'S JLG

SESSION AND TOLD HER OF THE PLANNED DEBATE. HE EMPHASISED THE

FOLLOWING POINTS:

(A) THE DEBATE ON THE CONSOLIDATED FUND WAS AN OCCASION WHEN BACK-BENCHERS BALLOTTED TO RAISE SUBJECTS OF THEIR CHOICE. HMG

HAD NO CONTROL OVER THE ISSUES RAISED. IT WAS CERTAINLY NOT

HMG'S WISH TO HAVE THE BASIC LAW DEBATED:

(B) THE DEBATE WAS LIKELY TO TAKE PLACE DURING THE NIGHT AND TO BE THINLY ATTENDED. IT WOULD PROBABLY AROUSE LITTLE INTEREST IN THE UK, ALTHOUGH THE HONG KONG PRESS WOULD BE BOUND TO FOCUS

ON IT:

·

(C) OUR INTENTION WAS TO HANDLE THE ISSUE IN A LOW KEY AND

UNCONTROVERSIAL WAY WE WOULD MAKE IT CLEAR THAT THE RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW LAY WITHIN THE SOVEREIGNTY OF THE PRC.

2.

ALL THIS CAME AS NEWS TO MADAM ZHANG. SHE ASKED A NUMBER OF QUESTIONS (''WHAT IS THE CONSOLIDATED FUND'') BUT OTHERWISE DID NOT COMMENT. ALTHOUGH SHE SAID SHE WOULD IMMEDIATELY REPORT TO KE, HE DID NOT (NOT) RAISE IT WITH MCLAREN, EITHER ACROSS THE TABLE IN THE JLG OR IN THE MARGINS.

FORD

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