RAR
د
RZXANMUORO 034/28
PP F C O
GRS 270
DEDI P
CONFIDENTIAL
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
FM HONG KONG 280857Z JAN 81
TO PRIORITY FCO
TELEGRAM NUMBER 85 OF 28 JANUARY
тор +2
1015
6
нкад.
HD/H
NO DISTRIBUTION
MKA 431/393/1.
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 06 FEB 1981
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
No
FOR CLIFT HK AND G DEPT FROM ROWLAND$ YOUR TELNO 47: POLITICAL ADVISER.
BBR
REGISTRY
Action Taken:
Aw 9
see
PROVIDING YOU SEE NO OBJECTION, WE PROPOSE TO INFORM EXECUTIVE COUNCIL/LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS ON 3 FEBRUARY ON THE BASIS OF A PRESS RELEASE TO BE ISSUED THAT AFTERNOON AS FOLLOWS: ''THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS HAS APPROVED THE APPOINTMENT OF MR ROBIN MCLAREN AS THE NEXT POLITICAL ADVISER IN HONG KONG. MR MCLAREN IS AT PRESENT HEAD OF THE FAR EASTERN DEPARTMENT IN THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE. MR MCLAREN WILL TAKE OVER FROM THE PRESENT POLITICAL ADVISER, DR DAVID WILSON IN OCTOBER THIS YEAR ON COMPLETION OF THE LATTER'S TOUR OF DUTY IN HONG KONG. THE POLITICAL ADVISER'S POST IS BEING UPGRADED, AND ON HIS ARRIVAL MR MCLAREN WILL OPERATE AT THE SAME LEVEL AS A SECRETARY IN THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT. MR MCLAREN WAS A LANGUAGE STUDENT IN HONG KONG FROM 1959-60. HE SERVED IN THE BRITISH MISSION IN PEKING FROM 1960-61 AND WAS ASSISTANT POLITICAL ADVISER IN HONG KONG FROM 1968-70. AFTER SERVING AS COUNSELLOR AND HEAD OF CHANCERY IN THE BRITISH EMBASSY, COPENHAGEN, FROM 1975-78, HE RETURNED TO THE FCO AS HEAD OF HONG KONG AND GENERAL DEPARTMENT. HE WAS SUBSEQUENTLY POSTED TO HIS PRESENT JOB AS HEAD
OF THE FAR EASTERN DEPARTMENT IN NOVEMBER 1979.
MR MCLAREN WILL BE 47 WHEN HE TAKES UP HIS POST. HE IS MARRIED WITH
THREE CHILDREN'',
2. IN THE COVERING NOTE TO EXCO/LEGCO MEMBERS, WE WILL POINT OUT THAT THE POLITICAL ADVISER'S POST HAS HITHERTO BEEN FILLED BY A GRADE 4 DIPLOMATIC SERVICE OFFICER BUT THAT MCLAREN WILL BE COMING TO HONG KONG IN THE HIGHER RANK OF A GRADE 3 OFFICER.
MACLEHOSE