Mr Store Mr Cox o/r

HMOCS

1.

A

2.

B

CODE 18-77

CONFIDENTIAL

HKB 233/

I

trust its woth it,

28/4

Reference..

pa pls

"HMOCS Policy

196

Miss Willians

Thanks, discussed this moning

(*see Av Ricketts comment

below). We shot offer 4 nights subsistance 8,9,10,11 Dec.

Mr Cox's manuscript minute of 22 November to Mr Stone.

M

M

Mr Fish is available to visit Hong Kong during the week Mrs Brown,

He has made it clear that he has funds to of 9 December. cover his own travel costs but not any part of those of participants from the Treasury or the Government Actuary's Department (GAD).

3.

Mr Ballantine, GAD, tells me that the Treasury have agreed to pay for any costs in excess of his flight and subsistence, eg charges for his time.

Jox 29/ki

HMT has agreed that HMT will

Pay For

subsistence additional

for

4. I have discussed with Ms Doherty and Mr Curran, Finance Department the question of how Mr Burns should help the Treasury. You asked which of the following three options we should pursue:-

(i)

nights. Mr Rayson and she still wish to travel on

6/12.

BW 291"

Mr Burns would buy the tickets for Mrs Brown, Mr Rayson and Mr Ballantine from his travel budget and BTC Hong Kong would charge subsistence to it;

(ii) We should make a cash transfer to the Treasury;

(iii) Mr Burns would use his Programme Budget to pay the costs.

(i) and (ii) appear to be non-starters. The AUS travel budget can only be used to pay for FCO and DS staff. Cash transfers to other Government departments are only made with prior agreement between both departments and involve changing PES baselines, which is not appropriate in this case. Even though we already have a marker down for the cost of an Opinion on the CFA, I think the Programme Budget is the only viable option for this tour. The team will arrive in Hong Kong on 7 December which will mean a minimum of 5 (and possibly 6) nights' subsistence. This will bump the total cost up to £7345.50 (or even £7671).

4.

I have reserved seats for Mrs Brown, Mr Rayson and Mr Ballantine on flight BA 27 which leaves at 2115 on

6 December. Mr Fish has provisionally booked himself on the same flight. We have asked Hong Kong to arrange hotel accommodation for all four participants.

Eur

E L Williams

28 November 1991

cc: Mr Ricketts

Mr BURNS OIR.

WADAAT

5. Since drafting this, Mr Ballantine has changed his plans and now on 7 December.

wants to travel on 7

CONFIDENTIAL.

Good

m

2/xii

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