TNAG-2363-FCO40-3434-Visits-by-MPs-from-the-UK-to-Hong-Kong-1992 — Page 99

[seems

incomplete

Sea

Kabore]

House of Carrone No. I agree. (od thought for

isity

they don't seem to be inving

opposition MPs ?? But puchope thy are

w Moris opposition

the que

Any objection

?

"Group 8")

It seems seremble enough 17

to me Mes wanting to go for

Hong Kong Government Office

香港政府駐英辦事處

6 Grafton Street London W1X 3LB

Tel: 071-499 9821 Fax: 071-493 1964 071-495 5033

HKD 026/14-

RECEIVER

Mr. Nigel Cox

16 MAY 199

Hong Kong Department

Foreign & Commonwealth Office

King Charles Street

London SWŁA ZAIT

Dear Nigel,

Lagree.

There is some

If we have

srecial purposes (eg Leglo elections) we

may

need

seperate arranges - but

can clear an hues wh HKGO.

Telex: 28404

Inwardness to an

this which

}

Cafe M

9 April 1991

explain orally ✓10/4

Requests by MPs for visits to Hong Kong

пого

17/10

(Letter out)

This is to confirm what I mentioned to you this morning about approaches to the FCO by MPs wishing to visit Hong Kong.

These visits normally result in some public expenditure, though occasionally the request is limited to the provision of a programme and briefing, in particular when

in particular when the visitor is passing through Hong Kong en route elsewhere. We have a small co-ordinating unit in this Office whose job it is to process requests of both kinds and which liaises with the Overseas Division in the Information Co-ordinator's office in Hong Kong.

The procedure is that we draw up at the beginning of each year, a list of MPs to whom we are prepared to offer sponsorship. This is based on our own selection together with ideas passed to us by, for example, Sir Peter Blaker (Chairman of the British- Hong Kong Parliamentary Group), the OMELCO Office in London and yourselves. I attach a copy of the sponsored visit programme for 1991/92. In addition we deal with subsequent requests made during the course of the year. These may involve sponsorship,

as was

was the case recently with Alastair Goodlad, or only the provision of a programme and briefing, as is the case, currently, with Charles Wardle and Sir Michael Marshall. It is the "ad hocs" which arise during the course of the year which can cause the problems when sponsorship is required because it may mean that we have to juggle priorities and possibly delete a name in order to keep within budget.

ра

M

13/