Mrs. Gregory, HK&GD
Copies: Chief Clerk
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
HKA 431/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY MJ. 51 23 MAY 1978
27
DESK OFFICER
RE
Mr. Stratton Mr. Snodgrass
without attachments
INDEX
PA
Ac:
1.
Appointment of British Resident Commissioner, New Hebrides
At its meeting on 11 May the No. 1 Selection Board agreed to recommend the appointment of Mr. A.C. Stuart, on promotion to Grade 3, to succeed Mr. J.S. Champion as British Resident Commissioner in the New Hebrides.
2.
However, the recommendation is of course conditional upon the parallel recommendation of the Dependent Territories Senior Appointments Board, and I should be grateful if you would arrange for the Board to consider the proposed appointment of Mr. Stuart as soon as you can manage. I attach a copy of his career details. It seems likely that the changeover in Vila will need to be made in October or November of this year.
3.
In your brief for the DTSAB you may care to record that, in identifying a successor to Mr. Champion, the Diplomatic Service Administration recognised that the qualities required were that the officer should have some knowledge relevant to a territory approaching independence, that he should have considerable diplomatic ability and that he should speak French. Mr. Stuart speaks French, is a former member of HMOCS (until 1965), headed the Seychelles Independence Unit in the FCO in 1975, was a successful Head of Hong Kong and Indian Ocean Department from 1972 to 1975, and is an effective officer of all-round ability.
4.
In regard to the procedural requirements for this appointment, I attach copies of useful papers which we have held on Mr. Champion's file from the time of his appointment three years ago. Paragraph 3 of Mr. C.J. Hall's minute of 7 July 1975 provides an admirable summary, which I understand you have confirmed to Miss Taylor in this department is still appropriate in every detail, with the one exception that Mr. Stratton is now the non-resident British High Commissioner for the New Hebrides.
22 May 1978
Ibbathe
H.B. Walker
Personnel Operations Department
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE