WIB L 51-7433
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No.
DRAFT
LETTER
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
To:-
Type 1 +
From
Top Secret.
Secret.
Confidential,
Restricted. Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
M. P. V. Hannam, Esq.,
Telephone No. & Ext.
British Trade
Commission in Hong
Kong,
P.0. Box No. 528,
Department
Hong Kong.
.In Confidence
Many thanks for your letter of 26 November
reporting that communications for senior
the
Government
officers in Hong Kong have been addressed to
you for onward transmission.
In the case of the despatch for Michael
Gass it would seem, I am afraid, that the slip
was made in the Private Office. I have written
a letter of apology to Michael.
I fully appreciate the embarrassment which
this sort of thing can cause you and am looking
into the question of how we can best avoid
similar mistakes being made. It is really a
question of educating staff at all levels in
the handling of the affairs of dependent
territories. The recent Circular (H.207/68)
headed "Hong Kong Addresses" may help a little
but obviously it does not go far enough, and
I am considering the issue of a much more
comprehensive circular.
To turn to another matter.
Personnel
Department has suggested that Hong Kong
Department here should take on the role of
"parent" department to your office. I have,
of course, agreed and, when one or two loose
ends have been tied up, I will be writing to you
about this. As one of my New Year Resolutions
I will be turning my mind to initiating some
regular reporting system (i.e. a weekly or
fortnightly letter) under which we will keep
/you posted