TNAG-1852-FCO40-2627-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 113

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Manula Mins Marssen, HED

CONFIDENTIAL

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From:

R M Marsden

Hong Kong Department

Date:

18 October 1989

23

33/10

CC:

Private Secretary

HKB 011 13

01113

3/11 من

PS/Mr Maude

HONG KONG: FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE

PS/PUS

Mr Gillmore

Mr McLaren

Mr Paul, HKD

Mr Holt, PRU

Mr Burns, News Dept

1. Mr Mark Hutton, the Assistant Clerk to the Foreign Affairs

Committee, telephoned this morning about the timing of our reply to

the FAC report on Hong Kong. I understand that Mr Maude is hoping

to speak to Mr Howell about this tomorrow evening.

2

Mr Hutton said that the Committee had discussed Hong Kong at

their meeting yesterday (the Committee's first meeting after the

summer recess). It remained the Committee's view that we should

delay our reply until we had something new and substantive to say.

But if it looked as if we were unlikely to be ready to reply for

some time, the Committee would prefer to have an interim reply in

mid November. If we expected to be able to announce details of our

nationality package by the end of November, however, the Committee

would be prepared to wait another few weeks. But in that case, it

would be advisable to write to the Committee explaining the reaons

for a further short delay. But it would be unfortunate if we wrote

to the Committee proposing to delay our reply until late November

and the reply were then to slip until the beginning of next year.

3. Mr Hutton said that if we submitted an interim reply in mid

November, the Committee would propose to invite an FCO Minister

(possibly Mr Maude) to give formal evidence in mid December. Since

the Secretary of State was already appearing before the Committee on

CONFIDENTIAL