10 DOWNING STREET
Mr Austin COD
of Chief Clanc
for Barreet
479
Ahr Galowority Iri Dept.
Grasipue for your comments
24 December 1984
LvAreupd 23%,
HKK 040/57
From the Principal Private Secretary
28 DEC 1984
DESK OFFICER
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A Boyle.
Not quilts.
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85
Dear Len,
слагд
I should mention to you, not for the sake of an inquest but in order to improve arrangements for future occasions, the difficulties we had with some telegrams during the Prime Minister's tour last week.
The difficulties arose with two telegrams from Tim Flesher to me. The first was marked "Flash" but was down- graded in your office to "Immediate": this was perfectly acceptable provided that it had reached us by the stipulated time in Peking. But it did not do so and you may remember that the Prime Minister was not therefore given the information about the result of the vote in the House of Commons in the S010 debate before she left Peking some six hours after the vote in the House of Commons, and some five hours after the telegram was sent from No. 10.
The second telegram on the following day was despatched to Hong Kong, again with a "Deskby" time before the Prime Minister's Press Conference. It was necessary for that Press Conference, since it advised her on the line to be taken on various bits of domestic news, including the value of sterling. The telegram did not reach the party in Hong Kong by the stipulated time, although it did reach us in time for the Prime Minister to glance at it just before she went into the Press Conference.
The final telegram about which there was difficulty was one from me to Sir Philip Moore about the outcome of the conversation with Zhao Ziang about the date of The Queen's visit, which was addressed to Philip Moore and marked "Deskby 0900". This telegram did not reach him by that time: it reached him more than an hour later and only after he had learnt of its existence by telephoning No. 10.
Would it be helpful if you were to issue an instruction that "Deskby" markings must be scrupulously observed on