TNAG-2049-FCO40-2919-Visits-by-Lord-Caithness--Minister-of-State-for-Foreign-and--1990 — Page 112

CONFIDENTIAL

33

000534 MDHIAN 8311

CONFIDENTIAL

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELNO 2741

OF 11110OZ SEPTEMBER 90

PERSONAL FOR PAUL, HKD FROM GOVERNOR

TOP COPY

O

?MB DIST? HUB 026/

SEP 1990

OMELO...!

VISIT BY LORD CAITHNESS : MEETINGS WITH EXCO AND OMEL

·

WITH

1 I HAVE DISCUSSED HANDLING OF THESE TWO MEETINGS WITH LYDIA

DUNN. AS YOU WILL REMEMBER FROM PREVIOUS VISITS, THE CHARACTERISTICS OF THE TWO MEETINGS ARE VERY DIFFERENT. DISCUSSIONS IN EXCO ARE CONFIDENTIAL. THAT CONFIDENCE WILL BE RESPECTED. THE MINISTER SHOULD FEEL NO INHIBITIONS ABOUT BEING FRANK. NOR ABOUT ASKING FOR ENLIGHTENMENT ON FACTS OR ADVICE ON POLICY.

2. I SHOULD LIKE THE EXCO MEETING TO BE A MORE GENUINE DISCUSSION THAN WE HAVE MANAGED TO ACHIEVE BEFORE. I HAVE ASKED MEMBERS TO SPEAK OFF-THE-CUFF BUT CANNOT GUARANTEE THERE WILL BE NO SURREPTITIOUS CHEATING BY LOOKING AT NOTES.

3. THE GENERAL SUBJECTS LIKELY TO BE COVERED ARE AS FOLLOWS :

A) INTRODUCTION ON GENERAL MOOD BY LADY DUNN:

B) INFLATION LED BY WILLIE PURVES. MAIN POINTS LIKELY TO BE :

I) MUCH PUBLIC CONCERN :

II) NEED FOR PROBLEM TO BE TACKLED EFFECTIVELY:

III) MAY REQUIRE LARGER SCALE OF IMPORTATION OF FOREIGN LABOUR.

C) CIVIL SERVICE/POLICY/LAW AND ORDER - PROBABLY JOHN SWAINE, RITA FAN AND ROSANNA TAM. POINTS LIKELY TO BE MADE:

I) CONSIDERABLE PUBLIC DISQUIET:

II) NO EASY SOLUTION: BUT SIMPLY HANDING OUT CASH IS NOT LIKELY

TO BE THE ANSWER: