GRS 200
DEDIP (SINGAPORE)
CONFIDENTIAL
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
DESKEY 21013OZ
FM FCO 201845Z SEP 79·
CONFIDENTIAL
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG
TELEGRAM NUMBER 747 OF 20 SEP
AND TO PRIORITY SINGAPORE (PERSONAL FOR MURRAY)
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR ONLY FROM CHIEF CLERK
YOUR LETTER OF 29 AUGUST
LAST
HKA 373/393/6
TOP CORY :
25 SEP 1979
26
#
16
27
པའི་བསབ
Be
1. THE SECRETARY OF STATE AND THE PRIME MINISTER HAVE NOW AGREED THAT YOUR APPOINTMENT SHOULD BE EXTENDED FOR A FURTHER TWO YEARS AND THAT IT SHOULD BE ANNOUNCED BEFORE THE END OF THIS MONTH. (THEY ARE AWARE OF THE NEED FOR ABSENCE FOR THE HIP OPERATION.)
THE QUEEN'S APPROVAL HAS ALSO BEEN OBTAINED.
2. YOU WILL PRESUMABLY WISH TO INFORM EXCO BEFORE THE EXTENSION
IS ANNOUNCED: AND THE IMMINENCE OF MR BLAKER'S VISIT MAY BE
RELEVANT FOR THE ANNOUNCEMENT. WEDNESDAY 26 SEPTEMBER MIGHT BE A
GOOD DAY. A LOCAL ANNOUNCEMENT AT ABOUT 1800 HONG KONG TIME WOULD
ENABLE US TO MAKE A PARALLEL ANNOUNCEMENT HERE, SOMETHING I PROPOSE
TO RECOMMEND THAT WE SHOULD DO ON THIS OCCASION.
M
3. PERHAPS YOU COULD CLARIFY A POINT ABOUT THE DURATION OF THE
EXTENSION, WAS YOUR UNDERSTANDING WITH THE SECRETARY OF STATE THAT THE 2 YEARS SHOULD RUN FROM APRIL NEXT YEAR (WHEN YOUR PRESENT EXTENSION RUNS OUT), FROM NOW, OR FROM SOME TIME IN BETWEEN? SUBJECT TO YOUR VIEWS, THE ANNOUNCEMENT MIGHT THEN BE ON THE LINES OF:
QUOTE THE QUEEN HAS APPROVED THE EXTENSION OF SIR MURRAY
MACLEHOSE'S APPOINTMENT AS GOVERNOR AND COMMANDER-IN-CHIEF OF
HONG KONG UNTIL SQUARE BRACKETS BEGIN DATE SQUARE BRACKETS END. 4. IT WOULD BE HELPFUL TO HAVE YOUR COMMENTS BY TELEGRAM FIRST THING
TOMORROW, SO THAT I CAN PUT THEM TO THE SECRETARY OF STATE BEFORE
HE LEAVES FOR NEW YORK.
CARRINGTON
NO DISTRIBUTION
CHIEF CLERK
HD/HK & GD
HD/NEWS D
PS
PS/PUS
MR CORTAZZI
E.E. HIPE/MACLEHOBE/M,
CONFIDENTIAL
IDENTI