TNAG-1844-FCO40-2619-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 123

HKB 011/3

CONFIDENTIAL

Miss Messen

·R72

From:

R JT McLaren

Mr Forchow 22/3

Date:

Mr Woofi

Mr Jaul

W257

Cc:

20 March 1989

PS

PS/Lord Glenarthur Mr Gillmore o/r Mr Holt, PRU

HKD

Enter ope.

193

HONG TELNO 942 : FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

1. I have spoken to the Clerk to the Committee, putting the specific points in paragraphs 4 and 5 of the Governor's tur. Mr Wilson undertook to pass them on to his Chairman. He added that the Committee saw their sessions with the Governor and the Secretary of State on 22 March as setting the scene for their Inquiry. They had read the written material submitted, but they had not yet taken any formal evidence, nor of course had they yet visited Hong Kong or Peking. So their questions at this stage were likely to be of a general nature ("How do you see such and such a problem?").

2.

As regards political groupings, Mr Wilson took the Governor's point but thought that the Committee would still find it helpful if he could find a way to guide them around the political map.

3. I also took the opportunity to warn Mr Wilson about the sensitivity of the question of right of abode for certain Civil Servants, mentioned in the FEER of 16 March ("A House Divided") and in today's Times ("... high-level sources in Hong Kong have indicated that servants of the Crown who feel themselves to be at risk, either before or after the handover, will be allowed into Britain." Mary Dejevsky, page 14). Again, Mr Wilson undertook to speak to the Chairman. He thought it unlikely that questions would be asked about this on 22 March, but commented that the nationality issue would not go away and the Committee would have to take a view on the extent to which they wanted to pursue it.

CONFIDENTIAL

RJT McLaren

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