CONFIDENTIAL
064630
MDAN 1669°
COULD BE INSTITUTED. EVEN THEN, SUCH A DECISION WOULD NEED TO BE VERY CAREFULLY EXPLAINED TO STAFF. PREVIOUS LETTERS FROM THE FORMER MINISTER OF STATE TO OSPA, POLICE STAFF ASSOCIATIONS AND INDIVIDUAL MPS HAVE RAISED STAFF EXPECTATIONS THAT A GCS WILL SOON BE ANNOUNCED. HMOCS STAFF, PARTICULARLY THOSE IN THE POLICE FORCE (WHOSE DEPTH OF FEELING YOU SAW ON YOUR RECENT VISIT), WILL BE EXTREMELY DISAPPOINTED IF IT IS NOT. IN EXPLAINING THE DECISION TO THEM YOU WILL NEED, IN ADDITION TO DRAWING ON THE ARGUMENTS OF TIMING IN PARA 3 ABOVE, TO GIVE A GREATER COMMITMENT THAN HITHERTO THAT THE INTRODUCTION OF A GCS TAILORED TO MEET THE UNIQUE CIRCUMSTANCES OF HONG KONG (NEXT WORD UNDERLINED) WILL BE PUT IN PLACE BEFORE 1997, AND THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE ARRANGEMENTS WILL BE MADE WELL IN ADVANCE, PREFERABLY BY A PARTICULAR YEAR. WE JUDGE THAT THIS IS THE MINIMUM COMMITMENT NEEDED IN ORDER TO PERSUADE STAFF TO TOLERATE A FURTHER AND IN
THEIR VIEW UNWARRANTED DELAY ON THE GCS.
WILSON
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DISTRIBUTION
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CONFIDENTIAL