བ་་ས --་་་་ *སན
ET MON
CORGIT
CABINET OFFICE
70 Whitehall, London SW1A 2AS
Telephone 071-270 0101 Facsimile 071-270 0208
From the Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Home Civil Service Sir Robin Butler GCB CVO
Ref:
A093/2488
2 August 1993
Dew Percy,
Thank you for your letter of 20 July and for the revised text of the two chapters of your memoirs. I do accept, of course, that it would be wrong to say that there are no amendments to the text which would remove our anxieties. I myself suggested publishing initially without the last two chapters, which is a textual amendment of a sort. I also recognise that in the revised version you have sent me you have made an effort to meet two of our main concerns that revelation of details of
of past confidential negotiations with the Chinese might prejudice current negotiations and that criticism of the position of HMG and the Governor might also weaken our ability to conduct the present negotiations by implying (to the Chinese) that there were divided counsels within HMG.
I would therefore be willing to continue the "exploration" which you propose. May I suggest that you contact John Coles at the FCO to arrange a time to do this. He will be generally available until he goes on leave on 20 August.
If it is possible for the text to be sufficiently amended to meet our difficulties I shall be glad to consider the text which then emerges and let you know whether it is possible
it is possible to withdraw our objections. But if our judgement continues to be that publication will make more difficult the job of those who now exercise the Government's responsibilities for Hong Kong, I will have to continue to ask you to accept that judgement for as long as it applies.
Your
eva,
Robin
Sir Percy Cradock GCMG 303 Richmond Road
Twickenham
Middlesex TW1 2NP
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.