TNAG-1837-FCO40-2612-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 64

CONFIDENTIAL

174756

MDHOAN 2878

HKB 011/3

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 163

OF 171535Z JANUARY 89

ด

Угода д

FOLLOWING STRICTLY PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM HUM, HKD

(8

YOUR TELNO 179: FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE ENQUIRY INTO HONG KONG

1. WE SHOULD PREFER IT IF YOU DID NOT/NOT CIRCULATE MY TELNO 154 OR ITS PREDECESSOR. THE ENQUIRY IS STILL ONLY JUST TAKING SHAPE: FOR EXAMPLE IT IS ALREADY CLEAR THAT THE TERMS OF REFERENCE ARE LIKELY TO BE WIDER THAN WE HAD ORIGINALLY HOPED.

2. IF YOU WISH YOU MAY CERTAINLY TELL KEY OFFICIALS IN STRICT CONFIDENCE THAT AN ENQUIRY IS ON THE CARDS. BUT WE HOPE THAT YOU CAN KEEP THEIR NUMBERS TO A MINIMUM AT PRESENT. AFTER ALL WE HAVE SAID TO THE COMMITTEE ABOUT THE NEED FOR DISCRETION YOU CAN IMAGINE THEIR DISPLEASURE, AND THE EMBARRASSMENT OF OUR POSITION, IF NEWS OF THE ENQUIRY CAME OUT THROUGH A LEAK IN HONG KONG.

3 =

WE SHALL BE DISCUSSING THE ENQUIRY FURTHER LATER THIS WEEK AND SUBMITTING TO MINISTERS. WE SHALL PUT TO MINISTERS THEN YOUR IDEA OF LUNCH WITH DAVID HOWELL (WHICH STRIKES ME AS A GOOD ONE). THEREAFTER I HOPE WE WILL BE IN A POSITION TO SEND YOU A TELEGRAM IN THE OPEN SERIES FOR WIDER CIRCULATION.

HOWE

YYYY

ΜΑΙΝ

LIMITED

HKD

MR GILLMORE

NNNN

16

DISTRIBUTION

16

MR MCLAREN

1

PAGE CONFIDENTIAL