TNAG-1837-FCO40-2612-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 56

CONFIDENTIAL

14

005023

HKB 011/3

MDHOAN 3093

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 20010OZ HONG KONG

TELNO 180

OF 19132OZ JANUARY 89

War.

INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING, BTC HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ENQUIRY INTO HONG KONG

1.

THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS HAVE DECIDED TO UNDERTAKE AN ENQUIRY INTO HONG KONG. MIFT CONTAINS THE TEXT OF THEIR PRESS ANNOUNCEMENT, WHICH THEY ARE RELEASING TODAY SETTING OUT THE TERMS OF REFERENCE AND TIMING. MY SECOND IFT CONTAINS BACKGROUND ON THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ON WHICH YOU MAY DRAW IN RESPONSE TO PRESS ENQUIRIES.

2. (FOR PEKING) THE CHAIRMAN OF THE COMMITTEE (DAVID HOWELL)

SPOKE TO THE CHINESE AMBASSADOR ON 18 JANUARY ABOUT THE TERMS OF REFERENCE OF THE ENQUIRY AND ABOUT THE COMMITTEE'S DESIRE TO

VISIT PEKING. THE EMBASSY TELL US THAT THE AMBASSADOR RESPONDED

POSITIVELY TO THE SUGGESTION OF A VISIT. WE ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT

HE SPELT OUT THE SENSITIVITIES OVER THE DRAFTING OF THE BASIC LAW. 3.

THERE IS THEREFORE NO NEED FOR YOU TO INFORM THE MFA OF THE ENQUIRY. BUT IF THE OPPORTUNITY ARISES YOU SHOULD EMPHASISE THAT THE FAC ARE ENTIRELY RESPONSIBLE FOR DECIDING THEIR WORK PROGRAMME: HMG HAVE NO SAY IN THE MATTER.

HOWE

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

29

LIMITED

HKD

FED

NEWS

DISTRIBUTION

29

PRU

MR GILLMORE MR MCLAREN

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