Mr Bloomfield
1.
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Her Osi REGIVIO IN SATYNO. 51
INDEX
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44
A Williamsor
12 SEP 1979c Mr Benes PSD
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Me McLaren HKGD
Mo Murized s
Mr Samuel FED
Mr White SAD
Thank you for sending me a copy of your minute of
6 September to PSD about Mr Farrington's proposed visit to Japan, Hong Kong and New Delhi.
J12.
2. I do not think these visits should be endorsed until the posts concerned have been consulted (Political Adviser in the case of Hong Kong) and have confirmed that the timing is convenient and they see no obstacles. This will mean telegraphing and the Political Departments concerned should be consulted. Moreover, there are some features of each of the visits which I think need to be cleared up.
3. Tokyo. A year ago I agreed that Mr Farrington should take on the Mitsukoshi commitment in his own time. What is not clear to me is how we can authorise "special leave" for the period in Tokyo unless Mr Farrington wishes to have this treated as unpaid leave. The alternative is to deduct it from his annual leave. I regret that I cannot see any justification for treating this part of his trip as official duty, as Mr Farrington himself has suggested. In any case I think we shall need a fairly full telegram of explanation to Tokyo: I would not expect the Ambassador to raise any objections, but this is a necessary courtesy, and also important in that a British official is linked with the Mitsukoshi exhibition.
4. Hong Kong. If Mr Farrington wishes to treat the period in Hong Kong as part of his annual leave, there will presumably be no objection; but if he is visiting the University and the Robert Black College on behalf of the IOLR, and is doing official work there, then we might be able to consider this as an official visit, or at least official for part of the time. The telegram to Hong Kong might usefully ask for appointments to be made and should in any case explain which organisations he will be contacting.
5.
Delhi. I fully agree with the proposal to make an official visit to New Delhi, but he should of course work through the High Commission. However, I do wonder whether all of 8 days are needed in New Delhi. Perhaps we could stretch a point there, since consultations and researches are necessarily protracted.
11 September 1979
DF Murray