* MR MCLAREN
MR BURNS
RESTRICTED
W/23/
HKC370/8
1 DECISTRY
- 9 JAN 1991
Deputy Legal Adviser
From:
F D Berman
Date:
23 January, 1991
c.c.
Heads:
ECD (E) PRS, SAD EAD
on Taxen
Mr Paul
+ 1901,
HKD
LEGISLATIVE PROGRAMME 1991/92
/ 1. I attach the customary letter from the Lord President
to the Secretary of State describing the outcome of the discussion in FLG Committee. Once again, the FCO has come out tolerably well from the bidding exercise.
The only exception is the Hong Kong (Appeals) Bill, which has been turned down on both of the alternative hypotheses, i.e. both for a short session preceding a General Election and for the first full session of a new Parliament.
2. Given the relative priority of this Bill in our bid, the logic of the above defeated me somewhat, as other Bills of lower priority have been offered a provisional place in the longer programme. I am told by the Cabinet Office that the reason is that Ministers on the Committee sniffed an aura of controversiality about the Bill, which led them to shy away from it on either hypothesis. We do however have an opportunity to challenge the provisional decision and, all things being equal, I would recommend that we do so by letter, provided that it is genuinely the case that we must have this Bill in place by a set time for the period 1991 to 1993. The latter date of course takes us into the next following Parliamentary session, but our chances there may not be good if we give in without protest now.
3.
I imagine that you will want to consult the Governor of Hong Kong. This would have to be done urgently. The deadline for a letter to the Lord President is this Friday, 25 January.
F D Berman
Bratt submission.
fe
་་
RESTRICTED
cont of fived Appeal!
Hong Kong (Appeals) Bill.
PM 24/1.
3
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.