CONFIDENTIAL
BRIEF I
PROPOSAL TO SECOND A DS4 GRADE OFFICER TO HONG KONG
Background
1. As a result of the difficulties encountered over the project to send a DS Grade 4 officer to fill the post of Deputy Secretary (Information) in Hong Kong, Lord Goronwy-Roberts said to the Governor in December that the next step should be for the Governor to send an assessment of these difficulties and for the right man for an alternative slot to be identified. The Governor has now sent his assessment of the original project, which has had to be dropped, and his agreement that the next step is to identify the right man. In the Governor's view, "he really would need to be very good indeed". Personnel Department have said that they could
half produce a list of a dozen possible candidates but that more work must first be done on the conditions of service that would apply to officers seconded to Hong Kong. The Department are working on this.
Line to Take
2. We are agreed that the next step is the identification of a good man, and he must be very good. There are, however, some difficulties concerning the terms of service of the officer to be seconded and the Department are working on these as a matter of
urgency.
CONFIDENTIAL