TNAG-1834-FCO40-2608-Sensitivity-review-of-Hong-Kong-Government-records-1988 — Page 81

布政司署 香港下亞厘畢道

SECRETT

PA

N23138

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

本署檔號 Our Ref:

GRC 2/4/1

來函檔號 Your Ref.:

MON DR

16 March 1988

Miss PM Barnes

Head, Library and Records

Department

FCO London

- HUD 444

TA MAR 1988

Dear Pak

Hong Kong Government Records

!

1 In the course of the sensitivity review of HKG records by the Political Adviser's Office we have touched on a

relating matter

to future access to records by the public. It would have arisen in due course when HKG of the developed its access

as part arrangements general overhaul of government records policy but, as

raised elsewhere it

review,

may sensitivity approach now.

be

context of the

our clarify

in

the

I should

like

to

2

It

when

concerns identification of and action on HKG records which contain documents originated by HMG that might have been withheld by the UK government considering the release of material under the 30 year

problem same

exists

in

The rule.

reverse for HKG documents sent to UK and now forming part of HMG's archives.

3

I

think

desirable that,

the

where

practicable

and it without limiting the autonomy of either party in this, access decisions by HK/UK governments in respect of classes of documents originated by the other should be consistent. There may already be a procedure for this with other countries. I seem to recall from my time in

that Canberra

Australian UK consulted the

records Abdication

held in the government over Commonwealth archives and again on a number of other categories when the 2 countries' access policies got out of phase.

I'd be grateful for your thoughts on this, including the potential it offers post 1997 for ongoing liaison with the SARG on this issue.

SECRET