TNAG-2043-FCO40-2911-Visits-by-Francis-Maude--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and-C-1990 — Page 80

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO DESKBY 30130OZ FCO

TELNO 1108

OF 30120OZ MARCH 90

INFO IMMEDIATE BTC HONG KONG, UKREP JLG HONG KONG

141253

MDHIAN 6691

18

HAB

ME 026/13

P

I f

PERSONAL FOR PAUL, HKD FROM GOVERNOR

PAUL

(16

YOUR TELNOS 680 AND 685: VISIT BY MR MAUDE

PRESSURE GROUPS

1. WE HAVE LOOKED AGAIN AT THE QUESTION OF MR MAUDE SEEING PRESSURE GROUPS. I REMAIN ANXIOUS TO ENSURE THAT IT DOES NOT BECOME A STANDARD FEATURE OF EVERY MINISTERIAL PROGRAMME THAT THE NORMAL RANGE OF PRESSURE GROUPS SHOULD BE ABLE TO SEE THE MINISTER EVEN IF THERE IS NO PARTICULAR REASON FOR THEM TO DO SO. SHOULD THIS HAPPEN THE STATUS OF PRESSURE GROUPS, WHO WILL ALWAYS HAVE SOME AXE TO GRIND, WILL BE INFLATED ARTIFICIALLY. OTHER GROUPS, WHO ARE KEY MEMBERS OF SOCIETY, BUT WHO HAVE NOT BEEN VOCIFEROUS IN COMPLAINTS WILL RIGHTLY FEEL AGGRIEVED THAT THEY ARE BEING DISREGARDED IN

COMPARISON.

2. NEVERTHELESS, I TAKE THE POINT THAT MR MAUDE'S CURRENT VISIT IS LONGER THAN USUAL AND THAT THERE MIGHT BE ADVANTAGE IN HIS SEEING A SELECTION OF LOBBYISTS. A LOGICAL WAY OF DOING THIS WOULD BE TO ARRANGE FOR MR MAUDE TO SEE ONLY THOSE GROUPS LOBBYING ON NATIONALITY. THERE WILL BE A LEGITIMATE CASE FOR THIS SINCE THE BILL AND SCHEME WILL JUST HAVE BEEN TABLED IN PARLIAMENT. THERE IS THEREFORE A JUSTIFIED REASON FOR SEEING THE MINISTER AND MAKING POINTS TO HIM ON A SPECIFIC SUBJECT.

3. WE HAVE PROVISIONALLY IDENTIFIED FOUR SUCH GROUPS (HK PEOPLE SAVE HK CAMPAIGN, RIGHT OF ABODE DELEGATION, LOBBY GROUP AND CONCERNED BRITISH EXPATRIATE SOCIETY). IF THE MINISTER AGREES WE WILL ARRANGE A MEETING WITH THEIR REPRESENTATIVES AT ABOUT 5.15PM

ON THURSDAY 10 APRIL.

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

''BLACK

4. WE HAVE ARRANGED FOR MR MAUDE TO VISIT WHITEHEAD. THE MUSEUM'' OF WEAPONS IS KEPT THERE. THE MINISTER WILL HAVE ONE AND A

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