HKDAGO
HKB 04014
170
L^ PAPER
SECRETARY OF STATE'S MEETING WITH MR DAVID HOWELL MP, CHAIRMAN,
SELECT COMMITTEE ON FOREIGN AFFAIRS
Points to Make
LAST TIDER:
Conscious that the Government owes the Committee a reply to its
report on Hong Kong. Grateful for your forbearance thus far.
As David Holt's letter to Robert Wilson explained, we wanted to
defer our reply until the nationality package, on which we have been working with the Home Office, was ready.
No firm deadline yet available but we are planning towards a public announcement sometime in November, (a decent interval after
the Prince of Wales' visit and before my own in January).
-
Know you have said you would prefer the Government to reply when
we have something to say and this suits us too but need to
square this with our clear duty to Parliament.
Vital that we get the nationality package right and Home Office's
view is that more work is needed yet.
Are you content to wait until late November for a reply?
What if timing slips and announcement has to wait until the New
Year?
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.