TNAG-1753-FCO40-2473-Future-of-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-debates-1988 — Page 99

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03 JUN 1988

12

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CONFIDENTIAL

FROM:

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DATE

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سكر وتلت

CC:

Hong Kong Department

June 1988

Mr Gi

Mr McLaren

Mr Fifoot, Legal Advisers

P RU

عل شكل

Ps/yord

Glenarthur

î

Du seem

foretty you...

mmt have a word wild Lord denham abent 2s preces for a debate with not too many men.

HONG KONG: HOUSE OF LORDS DEBATE: 10 JUNE 1988

Cu

1.

Lords

I submit Lord Glenarthur's briefing for next week's House of

debate on Hong Kong.

I fear that the briefing has to cover quite a lot of ground. We expect the debate to focus on the Basic Law. But to spare

2.

Chinese sensitivities we arranged with the opposition that the motion should be couched in rather more general terms, referring to the implementation of the Joint Declaration. Lord Glenarthur's opening statement covers correspondingly wider ground. In practice almost any Hong Kong issue can be related to the Joint Declaration. Even one which cannot (for example Vietnamese boat people) might well be raised in the debate. We have to be prepared to cover the whole waterfront.

A

3.

(i)

B

(ii)

C

(iii)

(iv)

The briefing is arranged as follows:

the opening statement. I have aimed for 15 minutes, but it may be a little long; in case it is, I have indicated in square brackets passages which could be jettisoned;

opening and closing passages for the wind-up speech;

a wide range of defensive modules. These deal in most detail with the Basic Law, but we have also tried to cover every other issue likely to be raised.

a separate folder containing background papers on the Basic

CONFIDENTIAL