CONFIDENTIAL
Foreigns and Commonwealth office
London SW1A 2AH
6 June 1983
JM Rowlands Esq CBE
Secretary for the Civil Service HONG KONG
Dear Martin,
DCA
lase
paper
four key views
166
DELEGATION OF WORK ON HONG KONG STAFFING.
1:
During his visit to Hong Kongin April, Richard Hoare asked you whether you would favour any further delegation to the Hong Kong Government of the Secretary of State's powers with regard to appointments promotions and discipline. Your view was that you would prefer to retain the present arrangments as they underline Hong Kong's special relationship to the UK and that to change them at this sensitive time could be misinterpreted.
:
I discussed this with the Governor during my recent visit and we agreed that no changes to the present formal procedures should be made. However he agreed that I should follow up the possibility of reducing the
reducing the amount of detailed consultation which takes place without weakening the link wit London. This might be on the following lines
matter of routine copi
You would continue to seek our approval for promotions from AO to SAO and from SAO to AOSGC
P(SP)
(a)
You would no longer send us of annual confidential reports
P(AS)
(b)
us, as at present
years; we would
copies of reports
ct to a telegram
names;
P(A)
AOSGC
яці
but without sending or the last three
ving a list of
(c) For AOSGB upwards, and for all other promotions to D3 or
DJL3 level, you should continue to send reports when seeking approval.
ין
The effect of this would be that we would retain an 'oversight ☺ of promotions, but normally only get directly involved at D3 level. and above. We do not propose any change to present procedures regarding appointments, disciplinary cases or applications for HMOCS status, which should be referred to us in Hong Kong Department.
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CONFIDENTIAL
/3.