TNAG-1834-FCO40-2608-Sensitivity-review-of-Hong-Kong-Government-records-1988 — Page 51

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

PS

Top Secret

Secret

Confidential

PS/No 10

Restricted

Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

COMMONWEALTH OF AUSTRALIA CONSTITUTION ACT

DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)

In Confidence

Your letter of 9 June asked for the views of the

Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary on the

Australian request for the permanent loan of one

of the two original copies of the Commonwealth of

Australia Constitution Act, on which the

Australian Parliamentary group pressed the Prime

Minister during their call on her on 13 April.

The Foreign Secretary has seen the Lord

Chancellor's views, given in Paul Stockton's

letter of 8 June to you. He has also considered

the Prime Minister's argument that we should

consider making available one copy of their

Constitution Act to any Commonwealth country which

sought it. He too has considerable sympathy with

the case argued by Mr Coles from Canberra for

giving the Australians one of the two original

copies of the Act on permanent loan and the

underlying point about the sentiment which such a

document holds.

nahahu