CODE 18-77
89
RESTRICTED
Reference
Mr Quantrill
Mr Clarke
DESPATCH ON POLICY TOWARDS DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
1. At Mr Stratton's monthly meeting at the beginning of this week, I reported that there was no
prospect that the despatch would be issued in final form by the time of the forth- coming Governors' Conference in January. Mr Stratton and Mr Duff said this would not matter provided a draft was available for discussion. Indeed, this might be the better procedure since the final version of the despatch could then take into account comments
made at the Governors' Conference.
2.
I understand that the Governors' Conference has been postponed from early January and will now take place on 16 and 17 January. That gives us a little over a month (minus the 10 days of the Christmas break) to produce a draft which has been agreed among all the departments concerned. I should be grateful if you would plan and work accordingly. We should aim to submit the draft to Mr Stratton before it is finally typeder discussin
•
15 December 1978
R J T McLaren
RESTRICTED
HKG 025/2
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11 JALIZZ
No 1 812111
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