CAB128-94_A1b — Page 41

ONFIDEN

CONFIDENTIAL

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initial interest

hospital units had expressed initial

in self- governing status: it was hoped that by the time the necessary legislation was passed, there would be some 50 units ready to adopt the status.

THE PRIME MINISTER, summing up the discussion, said that the BMA conference vote was disappointing but not disastrous. The case for the reforms proposed by the Government continued regularly be demonstrated. In that connection, the Secretary of State Health should make available to colleagues a note on the arch into the variation in GPS' standards which had recently published. The opposition to the Government's reforms was ofte based on ignorance of what was proposed and fear of any change. The official Opposition's position on the matter was illogical: on the one hand it complained about the standard of service in the NHS, on the other it said that the NHS was a marvellous institution which must remain untouched.

A key feature

reforms was expanding patients' choice: it was difficult

how anyone, including the BMA, could successfully oppose that. In the lengthy campaign for the nevitable, the Government must aim to derive the massive sums which it was spending on health and to build on aspects of the cal profession could not oppose. The Secretary of State fealth should consider the various points made in discussion in carrying forward the Government's campaign.

th

reforms which

more advantage securing the nation reforms which the

The Cabinet -

3. Noted, with approval,

DENTIAL

Prime Minister's summing up of

its discussion and invited the Secretary of State for Health to be guided accordingly.

FOREIGN

AFFAIRS

China

Previous

Reference

CC(89) 21.3

3. THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY said that the crack- down against dissidents in China continued with large numbers of arrests, the first convictions andxentions, and the tightening up of procedures for exit visas the three people convicted in Shanghai for burning a train had now been executed. A further eight had been sentenced to deach Peking for attacks against the army, all of them worker The Chinese authorities appeared to be trying to distin

between workers and students, taking a harsh line toward the former. The long term leadership prospects remained uncertain

There

were increasing signs that Zhao Ziyang would be dressed as Party Secretary but he had not yet been formally While the policy of economic reform and openness tower outside world had been publicly reaffirmed,

reaffirmed, a recent speech by Deng Xiaoping pointed to more conservative econom

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