TNAG-2043-FCO40-2911-Visits-by-Francis-Maude--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-C-1990 — Page 106

PS

No.10

14 March 1990

I should be grateful if you could seek the Prime Minister's

approval for Mrs Maude to accompany Mr Maude on his visit to

Hong Kong from 6-11 April. This would be Mrs Maude's first

visit abroad with her husband at public expense and her only

visit in 1990.

Mr Maude's visit will be taking place around the time of the

introduction of the Hong Kong Nationality Bill in Parliament.

The Secretary of State is keen that Mr Maude's visit should

not be seen as a response to this but rather as one of his

routine visits to Hong Kong. He thought it might help to get

this message across if Mrs Maude accompanied Mr Maude.

Mr Maude will have many pressures on his time while in Hong

Kong and Mrs Maude could usefully take on some of the visits

which he will not be able to undertake himself. He thinks for

example that it would be helpful if Mrs Maude, who is an

architect, could visit the Land Development Corporation and

see something of their urban renewal projects. She might also

visit the Kowloon Walled City to look at the progress on the

clearance projects.

Private Secretary