15-02-1991 13:21
HKGO LONDON 071 495 5033
44 71 495 5033 P.01
HKD 340/4
RECEIVED IN REGİSTÉ
22FE
FAX DOCUMENT
DRAK OFFICER
REGISTAY
PA
Action Taker
INDEX
FAX NO. LOT, 414
TO:
44
The Hagrell Wh
Hayrett
19/2
جم
Mr Mogrin
Director of Administration
cc IC, PS/GH and Alan Paul (HKD, FOO)
FROM:
C(L)
DATE:
18
explain Not who we whare idea the scheme
where were mad on
judgement the Governmal relied!
15 February, 1991
British Passports : Take up Rate
Comment in Parliament and in the press this week, yesterday's proceedings in the Foreign Affairs Committee and early requests from our friends for assistance in dealing with questions put to them on the issue, all point to the need for the preparation of some defensive material for us to deploy if the take up rate proves to be below availability by the end of the application period.
We shall need to be
be positive, not (as Lord MacLehose said to me earlier today) wooden, perhaps even slightly aggressive in our reaction. We could, for example, argue (as do some elements within the British Government) that the very fact that the take up rate is low is confirmation that the attempts by HKG and HMG to keep people in Hong Kong has worked though I am not entirely happy with this line.
There are other less positive aspects which could be deployed, e.g.
(i)
(ii)
(iii)
Chinese hostility
the fact that the British scheme has encouraged other
to countries
open their gates wider (is this true?), and
Britain is an unattractive destination However, I have doubts as to the extent to which we should deploy these less positive excuses.
The Labour Party is already making some political capital over what they describe as a "shambles", e.g. George Foulkes's comments in the House of Commons on 13 February (our Fax LOT 406 of 14 February refers). This is more a problem for the government than us, though I have no doubt we shall be asked to comment as to whether we consider the scheme to have been a failure.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.