TNAG-2048-FCO40-2918-Visits-by-members-of-the-Office-of-the-Members-of-the-Execut-1990 — Page 7

Year Charles

НКО

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Rn 20/10 Miza Marsden Mr Staple 27/10 Ms Coglin2/11

London SWIA 2AH

26 October 1990

Possible Call on the Prime Minister by the Governor of Hong Kong and Members of ExCo

The Governor of Hong Kong will be in London from 5 to 8 December in order to attend the annual dinner of the Hong Kong Trade Development Council on 6 December at which the Prime Minister will be speaking. Several members of ExCo, including Baroness Dunn, Mr Allen Lee and Mr Willie Purves, will also be in London for this occasion.

The Governor has suggested that this might be a good opportunity to bring a group of ExCo members to call on the Prime Minister. You may recall that the Governor raised this idea with you and Sir Percy Cradock after his call on the Prime Minister on 28 June.

It is some time since the Prime Minister met a group of ExCo members and nearly eight months since Baroness Dunn's last call on the Prime Minister. Mr Purves will be calling on the Prime Minister on 10 November but this will be a private meeting in his capacity as Chairman of the Hong Kong and Shanghai Bank rather than as a member of ExCo.

The Foreign Secretary recommends that, if her diary permits, the Prime Minister should agree to the Governor's suggestion. It would be much appreciated in Hong Kong and would provide a good opportunity for the Prime Minister to discuss with the Governor and his senior advisers the main issues of concern to Hong Kong.

If the Prime Minister agrees with this recommendation we can provide a suitable brief nearer the time.

You ever,

foPi

DPowell Esq 0 Downing Street

( L Gass) Private Secretary