CONFID CONFIDENTIAL
(b) Agenda Item 1(b): Mechanics/Techniques for Monitoring
the Planning Paper
The Hong Kong Government's obvious willingness to make as much information available as the FCO wanted was warmly appreciated. It was reported that, after discussion in Hong Kong, new schedules had been agreed for monitoring the implementation of those of the Planning Paper's proposals that were subject to target dates and that Hong Kong had agreed to send a quarterly narrative report on those proposals that were not subject to target dates or not suitable for reporting by schedule. [The schedules in question have since been received from Hong Kong.] It was agreed that Hong Kong Department would produce a quarterly summary of these reports in advance of each meeting of the Standing Committee. It was not necessary for all the schedules provided by Hong Kong to be distributed to each member of the Standing Committee, but those of particular interest to certain members, e.g. those on economics and labour matters, would be copied as required. One member of the Committee said that it would be particularly useful if he could see the agenda and minutes of the Labour Advisory Board's meetings, and the hope was expressed that the Hong Kong Government would make those papers available in future. It was mentioned that on a previous occasion certain papers connected with the budget estimates had not arrived in the office until a fortnight after the budget speech. The Committee expressed its confidence that Hong Kong had taken fully on board the FCO's interest in early sight of budget papers in future. It was also agreed that the classification of the Planning Paper could be down-graded to Confidential and that, for the purposes of correspondence with Hong Kong, reference should be made to the minutes of the meeting of the Governor's Committee on 6 August at which the Governor had reported on his discussions with the FCO in July.
(c) Agenda Item 1(c): The possible Secondment of a Diplomatic
Service Grade 4 officer to the Post of Deputy Secretary responsible for Information in Home Affairs Branch
Mr Stewart was sent to Hong Kong with authority to discuss with the Governor the possibility of an appoint- ment to his staff of someone to help the Governor in liaison with London. The Hong Kong Government resisted the idea. It was not a proper job: and there was no obvious post within the Government to which he might be appointed. The Governor has now proposed that a
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CONFIDENTIAL