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or dealsAR incorporting the top v Izslowly (ie the weau's portrait, or silhouette, or the Royal Sypler), The treen has approved the incorporation of the Insignia in the postage staro designs of all Dependent Territories (and in the stamps of the Test Indian Associated States), but requires that all such designs should be submitted for approval before their issue.
I pove, in consultation with the Legal Adviser, tried to establish the legal basis for these requirements, but have only succeeded in establishing that the Chole arrangement has a fairly shaly legal basis. The use of the Royal Insignia in this country is a Royel prerogative, but it is doubtful whether this reens that there would be any legal redress against anybody ho in an overseas territory used the Inslenie without specific authorisation. Nonetheless, Root of the Governments concerned, including the Associated States, Seel to accept unquestioningly that they can only use the Insignie under the conditions laid down from Tondon, and it is certainly not in our intereste to son doubts. In philatelic terms, the Insignia are a valuable asset, since many collectors concentrate on stamps bearing the British Royal Insignia.
7. The administration of a postage stamp policy is, of course, & complicated business and all Dependent Territories, in both categories, employ agents to undertake the technical side of the work and to advise on some or all of the policy aspects. In the case of territories where responsibility for postal matters has not been delegated, the Crown Agents are invariably used. Certain of the territories where responsibility has been dologated to local ministers have chosen to switch to other agents.
3.
HKGD's role in all this is not at all clearly defined, but we are probably doing more than is necessary. Arguably, if we need to be involved at all, the limit of our responsibility should be to deal with general policy matters only. But in practice, we become involved in the detailed postage stamp business of individual countries to a considerable extent. particular, we:
In
a) stipulate that those territories where responsibility for postage stamp policy has not been delegated should submit their forward programme of stamp issues to us for approval;
b) act as the channel of communication between the security printers and the Palace in obtaining Royal approval for stamp designs (and occasionally intervene with our own comments on particular designs);
c) take it upon ourselves to provide advice on points of detail arising from the general "Memorandum of Fostage Stamp Policy in the Dependent Territories".
UNCLASSIFIED
THIS IS A COPY
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED UNDER
(2)
FOI EXEMPTION NO. 40, 4
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