CONFIDENTIAL
CORRECTED
9. The Deputy Secretary (Information) project had been an attempt on his part to combine two thoughts:
(a) Lord Goronwy-Roberts had wanted a DS Officer in Hong Kong to watch things done or said in Hong Kong on which Her Majesty's Government had views more politically sensitive in the United Kingdom. They had both realised that, if this project was to be carried through, it should not be done obviously. He had hoped that Ford's slot was the right one and there could be a direct swop: Ford for a DS Officer. But the project had gone badly wrong, partly through the leakage of information reported in Sir Denys Roberts' telegram (HK Tel No 1219). Sir M MacLehose regretted that the idea of a straight swop now seemed to be out. He would, however, reassess the position on his return to Hong Kong. He had noted the Minister's and the Secretary of State's interest in the idea and would therefore study what sort of slot could be made available for a DS Officer. The slot would have to be such that its incumbent would be intimately concerned with the workings of LegCo and the official parts of Government. The Governor did not now see how this could be done, but he would think very hard. If, after further thought, he concluded that there was no place in Hong Kong that would provide the required environment for a seconded DS Officer, would the Minister accept an arrangement whereby a local successor was appointed to Mr Ford's job and came to the UK for a few months first. Mr Stewart said that he thought we would need notice of the suggestion the Governor had made.
(b) Sir M MacLehose was very anxious to have in Hong Kong someone who would be the keeper of his UK conscience, just as he had a keeper of his Chinese conscience, though he thought that his own UK conscience was fairly alert and that he probably knew as much as anybody. Lord Goronwy-Roberts said that there was more than one possible solution to the problem and that we should go deeper into all of them. Sir M MacLehose said that he could not go more deeply into the question in advance of his further assessment of the difficulties encountered in Hong Kong to the original project. Mr Stewart concluded therefore that the next step was for the Governor to return to Hong Kong and discuss the original project there. Lord Goronwy-Roberts said he thought enough had been said to allow all present to think further. The best approach might be to look at individual candidates and only subsequently find a slot for the one chosen. Sir M MacLehose said that it was important that agreement should have been reached on the officer's function. He thought the officer should be charged to watch out for things in Hong Kong which might be sensitive in the UK and bring them to the Governor's attention. He did not envisage the creation of a separate channel of communication between Hong Kong and the UK, but someone who would be of advantage to both places. The appointee should be able to see the whole field: his exact place in the Hong Kong Government was therefore crucial. His would not be a position of executive action, though he must have an executive role. Lord Goronwy-Roberts agreed that there should be no separate channel, and that it would make no sense
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