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So. It would create the impression of a semi detached member of the JLG, for whom JLG work took a lower priority than other preoccupations. This is in any case more than just a matter of perception; my attendance at these meetings is an indispensible way of maintaining the right feel for JLG work.
6.
There was in my view exceptional operational reasons to justify my non attendance at JLG XII in March. At that time HKD had a relatively new Assistant and the impending Foreign Affairs Committee meeting posed a particularly difficult
challenge.
The situation now is rather different. Miss Marsden, who as you know is an experienced officer close to promotion to Grade 4, has almost a year's experience of working in the Department, and our complement has been strengthened by the addition of a third Head of Section. The establishment of the Department has always been on the basis that it should be of sufficient strenth to cope with the necessary absences of the Head of Hong Kong Department at JLG. It was indeed on that basis that retention of the Assistant post was justified by the MRS!
7. The week beginning 4 December will of course be a busy one, just as every other week in the year is a busy one for HKD. But not exceptionally so. Most of the work for the ODK meeting on nationality on 7 December will have had to be completed by then. The bulk of the briefing for Mr Maude's appearance before the Foreign Affairs Committee on 13 December will need to be submitted in that period, but any briefing meeting will presumably await your return from China on 11 December. Moreover, following the reallocation of responsibilities for Vietnamese Boat People, lead responsibility for policy and briefing on mandatory repatriation no longer lies with me.
8.
I
My own conclusion is that, despite the temptation to do so, it would be wrong for me to cut the JLG meeting yet again. Any public explanation for my absence would sound
weak and unconvincing. Nor do I think sending a "token presence" from London would mitigate the effect of this. have no particular illusions about my own importance in the scheme of things. But I am sure that my absence would go down badly in Hong Kong and send the wrong sort of signal at the very moment when signals are important.
At the very least I should be in Hong Kong for the days of the meeting itself (5-8 December). It would be very desirable for me to attend the preparatory meetings (2 and 4 December) but this could if absolutely necessary be dispensed with.
ARPaul
A R Paul
SAM ADM
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