TNAG-1838-FCO40-2613-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 51

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG

TELNO 370

OF 09170OZ FEBRUARY 89

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

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM PAUL HKD

PERSONAL FOR BTC HONG KONG HOLLOWAY

41

YOUR TELNO 392: FAC ENQUIRY INTO HONG KONG.

1. FOLLOWING THE ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SINO-SOVIET SUMMIT IN PEKING, THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE HAVE DECIDED

TO BRING FORWARD THE DATES OF THEIR VISIT TO

HONG KONG AND PEKING IN ORDER TO AVOID A DIRECT CLASH WITH THE SUMMIT. SUBJECT AS BEFORE TO THE AGREEMENT OF THE CHINESE, THE COMMITTEE HAVE THEREFORE DECIDED TO ARRIVE IN HONG KONG ON THE EVENING ON SUNDAY 16 APRIL, TRAVEL TO PEKING ON THE EVENING OF SATURDAY 22 APRIL AND DEPART FOR LONDON ON EVENING OF 25 APRIL. 2. THE COMMITTEE CONFIRMED THAT THEY WOULD LIKE TO HAVE A

OFF-THE-RECORD MEETING WITH YOU ON 23 FEBRUARY AND HAVE SUGGESTED

THAT THIS SHOULD TAKE PLACE FROM 1600-1700 HOURS. THE TIMING IS SLIGHTLY LATER THAN THAT PROVISIONALLY AGREED WITH THE COMMITTEE CLERK (OUR TELNO 349) SO AS TO ENABLE THE MPS TO BE PRESENT FOR PMS QUESTION TIME AND THE GOVERNMENT BUSINESS STATEMENT. THIS MEANS THAT YOUR ROUND-UP MEETING WITH MCLAREN AND MYSELF WILL NOW BEGIN AT 1715.

3.

IN ADDITION TO YOUR MEETING WITH THE COMMITTEE, THE CLERK WOULD ALSO WELCOME THE CHANCE TO GO OVER ANY DETAILED POINTS WITH HOARE AND LEEKS AS SUGGESTED IN YOUR TELNO 334. WE HAVE THEREFORE ARRANGED FOR THEM TO CALL ON THE CLERK AT 1500 ON 23 FEBRUARY.

4.

WE ARE RE-CHECKING THE POINT YOU QUERIED IN PARA 2 ON TUR AND

WILL LET YOU HAVE OUR THOUGHTS AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

HOWE

YYYY

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