Sir Robert Armstrong KCB CVO CABINET OFFICE
London SWIA ?AH
22 October 1981
ན ིང་ག་
COMMONWEALTH HEADS OF GOVERNMENT MEETING
1.
We have already had a word about your letter of 15 October and the question of how we can best take stock of CHOGMS and our membership of the Commonwealth. I am putting in writing how we intend to approach this
As we agreed, matter and copying both this letter and yours to Douglas Wass in view of the Treasury's own involvement in high level Commonwealth Meetings.
2.
We have put in hand a review of the Commonwealth which will result in a paper which I should like to discuss with you and Douglas in draft in due course. will break down into three parts:
I think our paper
(a) why it would be difficult to leave the Commonwealth and, indeed, why it is in our interests to remain within it;
(1) how best therefore we can seek to maximise the advantages and minimise the disadvantages
of membership; and
(c) how best we can improve the arrangements for meetings like CHOGMs in order to make them more effective and productive.
3. I have already had a preliminary word with my people here and I think we shall come up with some useful ideas for improving present arrangements, though we must recognise that any change will be a slow process.
Im...
bcc:
ALL DUS' S
Sir P Preston
Head of Planning Staff
cc: Sir D Wass GCB, HM TREASURY
سنا
Michael Palliser
J.