AMINISTRATION IN CONFIDENCE
733577
र
Mr Jasper G&GD K 270]
Parrer
Mr Farrar [PPD
CG 205]
Reference.........
167
1
/be that the ODM would
HONG KONG DEPARTMENT:
1.
SHOULD IT REMAIN A JOINT FCO/ODM DEPARTMENT?
You will be aware that when Seychelles became independent on 29 June, the two ODM members of what was then HKIOD returned to Eland House. Nearly all the aid work undertaken by HKIOD concerned Seychelles. In accordance with Mr Morgan's report of 28 May on his inspection of HKIOD (Part II, paragraph 19), a small body of Hong Kong aid work has been absorbed by what is now HKD.
The work in question is of a purely routine character - it could probably be done by a Grade 9 officer instead of the Grade 5A who now finds himself doing it and does not require ODM-type expertise. There is no question of running an aid programme for Hong Kong of the kind which operates in the case of most other dependent territories.
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2. HKD like its predecessor, continues to be known as a joint FCO/ODM department and is, of course, shown as such in the Office Directory and the ODM's Staff List, etc. This means that the department continues to receive copies of internal ODM communications which are given a geographical Heads of Department distribution. There is a steady flow of such paper. It is of virtually no interest to the department since, as I have said, the aid work on Hong Kong, such as it is, is not of the kind performed in geographical departments in the ODM.
3. We do find ourselves involved with particular ODM departments on certain matters affecting Hong Kong, eg the financing of a current study of labour relations; Hong Kong's access to loans from the Asian Development Bank; certain staffing matters etc. The fact that we are described as a joint FCO/ODM department does not give us any advantage in dealing with the ODM on such matters. I believe that the relationship is much the same as that which exists between a geographical department in the FCO dealing with non-dependent territories and its corresponding geographical department in the ODM.
4. Given the fact that there are no longer ODM personnel in the department, that there is no aid programme for Hong Kong and that our position vis-à-vis the ODM seems to be the same as that of any other geographical department in the FCO, we are wondering whether there is a case for HKD's ceasing to be regarded as a joint FCO/ODM department. The advantage would not have to send, and we would not have to receive, the flow of paper to which I have already referred. It may be, however, that there are other considerations which should be taken into account.
5.
Mr Morgan recommended in his report that, once responsibility for Gibraltar was shifted to SED, the General, Administrative, Legal and Judicial staffing sections, which constitute the remainder of G&GD, should be merged with the work on Hong Kong and the new department re-styled Hong Kong & General Department. I understand
/that
CODE 18-77
ADMINISTRATION IN CONFIDENCE