HKG.025/1
2 OFEB 1980
PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL
11
INDEX L PR
DIEL
No
don Takon
D/8
0820.2 mg 25
R D Clift Esq
Hong Kong & General Department Foreign & Commonwealth Office
London
SW1A 2AH
Dear Dick
DRO
Now see (23
POLICY TOWARDS THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES
GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT,
GIBRALTAR.
14 February 1980
Mr Bridgy bod Igwood
П
18/2
-Serb-18-20
1. Cop to Makerth, SED
2. RER with R
Dick Stratton sent the Governor under cover of his letter of
1 February a copy of the memorandum approved by the Secretary of State setting out the policy of H M Government towards the United Kingdom's remaining dependent overseas territories.
2. Although Gibraltar is excluded, for reasons which we entirely understand, from the scope of the memorandum we have nevertheless found it a most useful guide to your current approach to questions of constitutional organisation and aid in dependent territories, and we are very grateful to have received a copy.
10X 20.2
3. As seen from Gibraltar there is no objection to publication of the memorandum. Indeed, we should favour its being made available here, certainly to Ministers and senior officials, and if possible to the Legislature and the press as well. I think that not the least useful result of publication would be to show that H M Government do still have a coherent dependent territory policy and that it is clear and tough-minded. For that reason I should favour retaining the last two sentences of paragraph 7. There are no cuts we should wish to see, but I note that in any wider circulation of the document it would be made clear that it does not apply to Hong Kong, Gibraltar or the other "political" territories.
Yours wir Robin O'Nein
RJ O'Neill
PERSONAL & CONFIDENTIAL