TNAG-1838-FCO40-2613-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 6

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CONFIDENTIAL

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Hong Kong Department

DATE: 13 February 1989

CC: Mr Gillmore

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LORD GLENARTHUR'S MEETING TO DISCUSS THE FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

ENQUIRY INTO HONG KONG

1. Lord Glenarthur is chairing a meeting at 15.30 on 14 February to

plan our approach to the enquiry.

2.

We still await the Clerk's formal letter setting out the

Committee's initial request for written and oral evidence. This is

expected to arrive later this week following the Committee's next

meeting on 15 February.

3.

But the Clerk has told us informally that the letter will

i) confirm that the initial written memorandum to be

submitted by 1 March should be based primarily on the Enquiry's

terms of reference but should also cover three current issues of

Hong Kong administration, namely Vietnamese refugees, emigration and nationality policy. (It is possible that the Committee will wish

to ask for additional memoranda in the course of the Enquiry).

ii) invite us to submit (by the same deadline) any additional

confidential briefing which we think the Committee should see before

they begin their Enquiry.

iii) confirm that the Committee would like to take oral evidence

from the Secretary of State on 22 March.

4.

The Secretary of State has already agreed to give formal

evidence both at the beginning and end of the enquiry. I

understand that he has now also offered to chair the informal

briefing meeting with the Committee which has been provisionally

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CONFIDENTIAL