TNAG-1840-FCO40-2615-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 103

MADAAK (4)

BACKGROUND

Chinese sensitivities

1. Mr Gillmore briefed Mr Howell in January on the various

sensitivities surrounding the enquiry. The record of this meeting

is attached. The Secretary of State subsequently spoke privately to

Mr Howell. Now that the Committee have embarked on their enquiry

the Secretary of State may wish to go over this ground again.

HM Ambassador in Peking will also be meeting the Committee

informally on 9 March.

Hong Kong aspects

2. The Foreign Affairs Committee have decided to take formal

evidence in Hong Kong but have not yet discussed who they should see

in Hong Kong. This will be on the agenda for their next meeting on

1 March. The Governor had an opportunity to discuss his involvement

in giving evidence when he met the Committee informally on 23

February. Mr Howell agreed at that meeting that the Governor need

not give formal evidence in Hong Kong (although there is still a

risk that he may come under pressure to do so when the Committee

actually visit Hong Kong). In order to reduce this risk, the

Governor has offered to come back to London to give formal evidence

on 22 March. He would be prepared to give evidence again at the end

of the enquiry if the Committee so wished.

Governor's meeting with the Committee

3.

The Governor's meeting with the Committee on 23 February appears to have gone well, although only 2 MPs other than Mr Howell and Mr Shore turned up (Mr Ian Taylor and Mr Bowen Wells). Mr Bowen Wells was fairly bullish about the second draft of the Basic Law and welcomed the arrangements for members of LegCo to continue on office after 1997. Mr Shore also showed a detailed interest in the plans

for the development of representative government.