1
Ref.
CONFIDENTIAL
ET MON
Mher life IMCD-
Grateque for advice (and draft reply)
70 WHITEHALL, LONDON SW1A 2AS
01-233 8319
38
тать
EPS
PS/M luce
From the Secretary of the Cabinet and Head of the Home Civil Service Pradock
Sir Robert Armstrong GCB CVO
-Mr Heim
A084√ 1897 UKKO 40
MKK040/17
RECEIVED IN
DEN Le
INDCA
1 2 JUL 1984
Mr. Powell
RY
für WHarding
The Goodall.
4 July 1984
Dft pl. (See PUS's not below)
Circulation of Ministerial Correspondence
Dash
You will not be surprised to learn that we have received complaints about the short time available for consideration of the papers taken at the meeting of OD (K) last week. Two of the papers, both of them long and complex, were circulated within 36 hours of the planned time of the meeting and arrived after the Prime Minister had departed for the European Council meeting at Fontainebleau, a commitment of which all concerned were aware some weeks ago. As a result there was no time for these papers and associated briefs to be read by the Prime Minister and the meeting had to be postponed at short notice by 24 hours.
Similar difficulties arose earlier in the year, and action was taken then to remind those concerned of the rule that papers for consideration by Ministerial Committees should be circulated seven days in advance in order to allow the Prime Minister and other Ministers adequate time to consider the papers and to receive briefing from officials. There is also ample recent evidence that last minute circulation of papers on complex and difficult issues such as those considered at last week's OD(K) is a recipe for an unsatisfactory discussion.
Although the nature of the subject matter sometimes makes the strict application of the seven-day rule unrealistic and a constantly changing situation, such as the negotiations on Hong Kong, can create special difficulties, it is difficult to see why in this case the papers could not have been circulated in a timely way. We have also noted a tendency to circulate papers in the form of copies of minutes to the Prime Minister
Seel
40
L V Appleyard Esq
CONFIDENTIAL
/(sometimes