HKK 13/2
SECRET
Hong Kong Department
17
25 February, 1969
L.I.C. Internal and External Intelligence Reports
During confrontation you discontinued the usual monthly and quarterly reports of the Local Intelligence Committee and we here relied on the weekly (in fact at one stage daily) telegrams you sent on the situation. The telegraphic reports are now", as you know, fortnightly.
2. I seem to recall that the discontinuance of the old-style reports was agreed between us but I cannot now trace any exchanges on the subject. My recollection is that it was to be only a temporary measure, and I was rather expecting that when the situation in Hong Kong became more normal we would revert to former arrangements. But when I mentioned this informally to Michael Gass last month, his view was that the present arrangements were agreed as a permanent alternative.
3. I must say that we now miss the old-style monthly reports. They contained items of information (on the domestic front particu- larly) which we no longer receive in the normal course of events, e.g. about repairs to Russian ships, the activities of the United Nations Association, side-lights on the visits of M.Ps. etc.
The quarterly reports helped to indicate the trend of developments in the matters reported and gave a better balanced picture but might be regarded as something of an unnecessary frill.
4. I should be grateful to know whether you have given any consideration to returning to monthly reports (notwithstanding Michael Gass's belief that they have been dropped for good). We in the department would certainly welcome their reappearance; but it is only right for me to say that there has been no pressure for this from other quarters, 1.e. J.I.C. or the Security Service.
G. C. Hamilton, Esq., CDE.,
Colonial Secretariat,
HONG KONG.
(W. S. Carter)
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