TNAG-2367-FCO40-3440-British-Dependent-Territories-(British-Overseas-Territories)-1991 — Page 33

CONFIDENTIAL

FM FCO

TO DESKBY 230030Z HONG KONG

TELNO 1347

OF 22160OZ JULY 91

INFO ROUTINE BTC HONG KONG

CONFIDENTIAL

HKD 213

29

1905

38

112665

MDHOAN 7562

TOP COPY Q DIST?

FOR PS/LORD CAITHNESS (VISITING)

YOUR TELNO 1334: DEPENDENT TERRITORIES WORK PERMIT QUOTA (DTWPQ)

1.

DEPARTMENT OF EMPLOYMENT MINISTERS HAVE APPROVED A SLIGHTLY AMENDED VERSION OF THE DRAFT PQ (WHICH WE ARE FAXING TO YOU). BUT MR HOWARD FEELS STRONGLY THAT THE PQ SHOULD BE TABLED ON 23 JULY AND ANSWERED ON 24 JULY, IN ORDER TO AVOID ANY IMPRESSION THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS SNEAKING IT IN AT THE LAST POSSIBLE MOMENT

THIS WOULD INCREASE THE LIKELIHOOD

BEFORE THE SUMMER RECESS.

THAT THE STORY WILL BREAK WHILE LORD CAITHNESS IS STILL IN HONG KONG.

2. MR HOWARD HAS COMMENTED THAT LORD CAITHNESS MIGHT IN FACT PREFER TO BE ABLE TO RESPOND TO QUESTIONS ON THE SUBJECT WHILE HE IS THERE, RATHER THAN HAVE IT BREAK JUST AFTER HE HAS DEPARTED, WITH THE RISK OF CREATING A SIMILAR NEGATIVE IMPRESSION OF DELIBERATE, ATTEMPTED CONCEALMENT.

COMMENT

3. AN ANNOUNCEMENT ON 25 JULY MIGHT HAVE MEANT THAT THE STORY DID NOT BREAK IN HONG KONG UNTIL LATE AFTERNOON ON 26 JULY (LOCAL TIME) IE AFTER LORD CAITHNESS HAD HAD HIS PRESS CONFERENCE AND/OR MET LOCAL EDITORS. BUT NOT NECESSARILY SO. MOREOVER, IT WAS ALWAYS POSSIBLE THAT THE MINISTER WOULD BE ASKED QUESTIONS ABOUT IT AT THE STAND-UP AT THE AIRPORT ON HIS DEPARTURE ON 28 JULY. AN EARLIER ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD GIVE THE MINISTER THE OPPORTUNITY TO DISCUSS IT DURING HIS MEETINGS WITH THE PRESS ON 26 JULY AND GIVE IT THE RIGHT SPIN, IN A WAY WHICH MIGHT NOT BE PRACTICABLE AT THE AIRPORT STAND-UP.

4. GRATEFUL TO KNOW (DESKBY 2308OOZ) WHETHER LORD CAITHNESS IS CONTENT WITH THIS REVISED TIMING. (WE ARE IN ANY CASE FAXING ADDITIONAL SUPPLEMENTARY BRIEFING ON THIS SUBJECT.)

HURD