MANAGEMENT IN CONFIDENCE
M
Morris
ル
Il will be work
Caper of the BTC
booking
Mr Ricketts,
HKD
tts,
ofjectives
e
discussing wit
FROM: CO Hum
DATE: 10 July 1992
CC: Sir J Coles Chief Clerk
Dand love e his team whetter we wand any changes to Hem. BRITISH TRADE COMMISSION, HONG KONG: OBJECTIVES Pre also get a copy of
Day/Needham Letter
1.
Following our discussion, I spoke to Mr Meadway in the DTI. I told him in confidence that Mr Day was likely to be returning to London towards the end of next week. I asked him if he thought it would be helpful for his Department to take part in discussions with Mr Day about the objectives of the Trade Commission.
He
2. Mr Meadway said he would welcome this. When he had seen Mr Day in Hong Kong in June he had discussed with him in general terms what the tasks and objectives of the Trade Commission should be. Mr Day had seemed anxious to review very fundamentally the objectives bequeathed to him by Mr Heap. (Mr Meadway) had felt that this process should not be taken to extremes: but there were certain aspects of Mr Heap's operation about which the DTI had had doubts and he welcomed a fresh look at the subject. Mr Day had not produced anything in writing, and to the best of his knowledge nothing had been received in the DTI since. Mr Day had however written a letter to Mr Needham setting out a range of thoughts, some sensible and some less so.
3. I suggested that once a telegram had been sent by the Chief Clerk asking Mr Day to return to London I should follow up with a telegram referring specifically to objectives.
I would say that we felt it would be helpful to use Mr Day's presence in London to ensure that we were all of one mind about his personal objectives and those of the Trade Commission. I would invite him, if he had anything more definitive in writing, to let us have this in advance of his arrival. I would also set up a meeting with Mr Day to discuss the objectives, which Mr Meadway said he would like to attend together with one or two colleagues.
4. I shall produce a telegram on these lines in due course. In the meantime I should be grateful if the Department could contact the DTI at a working level and begin preparations for an eventual discussion with Mr Day. It would probably be sensible to have a pre-meeting with the DTI in advance of Mr Day's arrival.
Corte
CO Hum
MANAGEMENT IN CONFIDENCE
Page 30Page 31
T
CONFIDENTIAL
FM BTC HONG KONG
TO ROUTINE FCO
TELNO 200
OF 10091OZ JULY 92