TNAG-2119-FCO40-3025-Future-of-Hong-Kong-general-1990 — Page 264

CONE IDENTIAL

Syria

Mr Adley referred to his further plans to lead a Parliamentary delegation to Syria. He recalled that on the last occasion that this had been done, about two years ago, a statement by the No.10 Press Office had undermined the carefully created statement which had been worked out between the MPs and the FCO. He did not want this to happen again. Was it possible to discover what were the No.10 ground-rules for progress on Syria? The MPS would not want to undertake discussions on Syria on a false basis, nor for a negative spin to be put on their activities. The Secretary of State said that he understood Mr Adley's wish to avoid a misunderstanding - again, he undertook to reflect and I should be grateful for the Department's advice on how to proceed. The Secretary of State will be seeing Sir Denis Walters, who is likely to be another member of the delegation, on Sunday. If it is possible to have an answer by then, so much the better. But do we need to enter into correspondence with No.10?

12 June 1990

CC: PS/Mr Waldegrave

PS/Mr Maude

Mr Burns

Mr Gore-Booth

Mr Fuller, NENAD

SCD

PRU

Special Advisers (x2)

Mr Yeo MP

CONFIDENTIAL

ди

(S L Gass)