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be
would be beneficial for a British Government view to presented to the Committee,
the Committee, the Post will be instructed to try and achieve that end by asking that the request be made informal and that the subsequent appearance should also be informal (although even informal appearances could result in a record being taken, press publicity etc). Formal
appearances
in
response
to an informal
but are not ruled out in principle.
Informal Appearances Before Overseas Committees
request will be
rare
Parliamentary
4. All invitations for informal appearances before Overseas Parliamentary Committees should be referred to the,
appropriate geographical department in
department in the FCO for guidance and copied to PPD PRU and the relevant Whitehall Departments. Decisions on such requests
}
-
which we would
not regard as setting a precedent will be taken on their merits. It is envisaged that such informal appearances before Overseas Parliamentary Committees would generally be by officials, not Ministers.
Written Testimony to Overseas Parliamentary Committees
5. There are no hard and fast
fast rules. We would probably not wish to provide material in response to any request couched
formal a
But summons.
there may well be
in terms of
occasions when there would be advantage in responding favourably to less formal requests from Overseas Parliamentary Committees for written material. All such requests should be referred the appropriate geographical department in the FCO for guidance, and copied to PPD, PRU and the interested Whitehall Departments.
to
Informal Meetings with Individual Members of Overseas Parliamentary Committees
6.
1
Many Posts already have good relations with individual Committee members (particularly Chairmen), especially when those Committees are concerned with matters impinging on UK interests. Such contacts are encouraged, at Posts discretion. Clearly, there will frequently be occasions when visits by UK Ministers or officials should include meetings (and/or social contacts) with the Chairman and/or members of important committees. Posts should continue to bear this point in mind when making programme proposals.
US State Legislatures
7.
for
set out above also apply The guidelines set
to requests British Ministers and officials to give evidence before committees of US State legislatures. In such cases, however, it is not generally necessary
necessary for Posts to consult
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