CONFIDENTIAL STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
HCK 016/4.
2 MAY 1978
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Mr Murray
Mr Cortazzi
Chief Clerk
EMPLOYMENT OF HONG KONG CIVIL SERVANTS IN HONG KONG AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT
1. In his letter of 8 May to the Chief Clerk, Sir Murray MacLehose proposed that someone with long experience of Hong Kong should be placed in HKGD to help to make up for our lack of direct Hong Kong experience. He suggested that Mr Peter Williams, who has just resigned from the post of Commissioner for Labour in Hong Kong, might be a suitable candidate. In his minute of 17 May the Chief Clerk suggested that this proposal could have a certain presentational value.
2. This is by no means the first time that Sir Murray LacLehose has made such a suggestion.
While I do not think we are quite
as ignorant as the Governor implies, it is undeniable that we do lack first-hand experience of Hong Kong (though this will, of course, change next week with the arrival of Robin LcLaren to take over as Head of the Department). I discussed this with Mr Stewart before he left and with other members of the Department. We can see no insuperable objection to our taking someone from the Hong Kong Government Service into the Department, The presence of such an officer might occasionally be inhibiting but this would be more than outweighed by the advantage of being able to make it clear to the Hong Kong Government that (contrary to what they sometimes seem to think) we do not have any secrets to hide from them. It would also help them to appreciate how much effort the Department puts into flight their case for them, both in the FCO and in Whitehall, over much things as Air Services Agreements, international trade problems and refugees.
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3. However, I do not think that Mr Williams could be fitted into such a role. He is too old and too senior to be offered anything below a DS4 appointment without causing offence although the Governor has previously hinted at the possibility of having a Hong Kong man as Head of the Department, this is not
CONFIDENTIAL
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE