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and 155 locally engaged staff. But, according to the SOR
for the new building, the space requirements for immigration section visa would still amount to some 6400 sq feet
(including public waiting areas). It would therefore prove
an expensive business to consider taking on immigration work before the new building is completed. This suggests that we
should plan to take on visa work as soon as the new building is operational, say in mid 1996.
Commercial/Economic Work
9.
Commercial and economic work currently involve 60% of the Senior Trade Commissioner's time (50% commercial, 10%
economic), 55% of the DS4's time, one DS7, two LEIS and 3.5
LEIIIS (Southern China) 4 LEIIIs and one LEIV. In the last
finincial year Mr Heap was investigating the possibility of
recruiting a first class locally engaged officer, (probably
above the LEI maximum). He believed that there was also a
job now for a DS5 (see also para 16 below). The Chairman of the British Overseas Trade Board had expressed keen interest
in reinforcing the Trade Commission as soon as possible.
The PUS said in his letter to Sir Derek Hornby of 4 March,
that we would want Mr Day to address the needs on the commercial/economic front as soon as he took over the post
of Senior Trade Commissioner. Mr Day is currently considering his immediate starting needs. It is likely that
both the LEI and the DS5 slot will be filled by the next financial year. Any additional commercial/economic staff
posts could be accomodated in the extra space which BTC have
already taken on.
Information
10. The Information Section is already up to its planned
strength for the BCG, with one DS6, one LEII and one LEIII
staff member. Information Department are considering
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