INDIV
Reference...
Mr R D Clift
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
Hong Kong & General Department Room K 246
MKA 431/393/7
RECEIVED IN REGISTAY NO. 51
06 FEB 1981
POLITICAL ADVISER, HONG KONG
1.
DESK OFFICER INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
No
BBR
We spoke yesterday about the succession ot David Wilson in Hong Kong by Robin McLaren, on promotion to DS3, later this year. I undertook to let you have a note of the later timing (originally July) caused by our inability to replace McLaren in FED with a suitably qualified Japanese-speaking DS4 officer until early November. Subject to the Governor's views this later timing has number of advantages. The Deputy Political Adviser, Ian Orr is due to be replaced by Richard Margolis (Paris) in July immediately after David Wilson returns from his 6-week mountaineering trip in China. If McLaren were to leave FED early in October (his deputy will be able to carry the 4 week gap until McLaren's successor arrives) he will be able to reach Hong Kong by mid-October since he will have had most of his leave in the Summer and will have fitted in much of his essential briefing beforehand. Thus Margolis will have had 4 months to settle into the job before Wilson leaves (no doubt the Governor will advise on the optimum handover for which the Hong Kong Government will pay between Wilson and McLaren), and McLaren will have some 6 months or so to learn the ropes before the Governor departs.
2.
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You agreed to put up to the Chief Clerk a draft telegram to the Governor saying that McLaren is delighted to have been offered the job and seeking his agreement to the timing outlined above (Mr Munro has not told the Chief Clerk that the timing has slipped from July to October and is content that you should do so in putting up the telegram).
3. I promised to let you have the references of the telegraphic exchanges between the Chief Clerk and the Governor on this subject so far. In his DEYOU telno 1090 of 5 December the Chief Clerk asked the Governor for his agreement to McLaren succeeding Wilson
'in the second half of 1981', in the higher grade; if so, he would then sound out McLaren. The Governor replied by Secret, Staff-in- Confidence, telno 1623 on 10 December accepting McLaren as a DS3 (the Civil Service Branch agreed to the upgrading of the Post). Subsequent to this exchange the No 1 Board's recommendation of this posting has been approved by the Secretary of State and No 10.
7 January 1981
cc Miss Taylor, POD
pp
Stickley
Eric Patterson
Personnel Operations Department
CODE 18-77
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
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