RESTRICTED
Reference HKK 25/1
Mr. Godden
The Minister will wish to be aware of the Hong Kong Government's decision to reorganise its London Office. The matter has been the subject of discussion with us over the past year and Hong Kong's proposals have been agreed at the official level in consultation with other FCO departments concerned. The proposals were, in fact, discussed with the Governor when the latter was on leave in this country
last October. The Governor has now informed us
that Executive Council have approved the proposals in
principle and that he wishes to arrange for a press release on the subject to issue simultaneously in London and Hong Kong on 20 August.
2. No specific date is mentioned for the formal introduction of the reorganisation since this will clearly take some time to complete; it is likely, however, that the timing is related to the fact that on 1 September Mr. Sedgwick, the present Director of
the London Office, will be succeeded by Mr. A. M. J. Wright, CMG, formerly Hong Kong's Director of Public
Works.
3.
are :
The main points to note about the reorganisation
(i) The title of the Head of the Office is to
be changed from "Director" to "Administra-
tive Commissioner for the Government of
Hong Kong in London". The Governor has asked that this title should be brought
into use forthwith so that Mr. Sedgwick will, in fact, be the first Administrative
Commissioner, albeit for a period of no
more than ten days.
(ii)
There will be no change in the formal
representational functions of the post. For obvious reasons the post cannot have
diplomatic status: this point has been made clear to the Governor who accepts it without question. Nor will the post carry any immunities, although it may be desirable, at a later stage, for the Administrative Commissioner to have certain
privileges to equate his position in this
respect with that of the United Kingdom
Trade Commissioner in Hong Kong.
This
point is to be further pursued.
/The
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