SECRET
012217 (
MDHIA 5675
5.
ALTHOUGH THE HMOCS ASSOCIATION WAS ONLY SET UP IN 1991 AND HAS BEEN WAITING FOR DECISIONS SINCE THE FIRST ROUND OF CONSULTATIONS IN MAY 1992, HMOCS OFFICERS HAVE IN FACT BEEN WAITING FOR RESOLUTION OF HMOCS ARRANGEMENTS SINCE 1985-86. THAT WAS WHEN THIS ISSUE WAS FIRST RAISED WITH MINISTERS WHO GAVE ASSURANCES THAT THE HMOCS ISSUE WOULD BE ADDRESSED. THIS POINT MIGHT BE REFLECTED IN PARAGRAPH 3.
LETTER TO CARTLAND
WE AGREE THAT IT IS NECESSARY TO SAY SOMETHING SUBSTANTIVE ABOUT THE OVERALL POSITION AND TO MENTION THE INADVISABILITY OF PURSUING ACTIONS WHICH MIGHT RESULT IN DAMAGING PUBLICITY AND AN OPEN RIFT BETWEEN THE HMOCS ASSOCIATION AND HMG. WE BELIEVE THAT MR GOODLAD SHOULD BE AS POSITIVE AS POSSIBLE ABOUT THE PROGRESS MADE TO DATE.
7. HOWEVER WE HAVE SERIOUS RESERVATIONS ABOUT THE SECOND HALF OF PARAGRAPH 4. IN HIS LETTER TO MR CARTLAND OF 31 MAY, MR GOODLAD
WAS MORE POSITIVE. TO BACKTRACK NOW AND MENTION GENERAL RIGHT TO RETIREMENT AS A ''POSSIBILITY'' IS UNACCEPTABLE AND WOULD CERTAINLY INFURIATE ALL HMOCS OFFICERS. WE URGE THAT YOU USE THE LINE SET OUT IN MR GOODLAD'S EARLIER LETTER TO MR CARTLAND.
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IN ADDITION THE REFERENCE TO ''DETAILS OF THESE SCHEMES' IN THE LAST SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH 4 TENDS TO CONTRADICT THE REFERENCE TO ''MAJOR ISSUES' IN PARAGRAPH 3. WE SUGGEST THAT YOU DELETE THE WORD MAJOR' ALTOGETHER OR USE THE WORDS ''DIFFICULT'' OR
''IMPORTANT DETAILS'' ANY REFERENCE TO MAJOR UNRESOLVED ISSUES WILL NOT GO DOWN WELL WITH THE HMOCS ASSOCIATION AND WILL REINFORCE FEELINGS THAT THEY ARE BEING ''STRUNG ALONG DESPITE ASSURANCES TO
THE CONTRARY.
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9. WE SUGGEST THAT ALL REFERENCES TO ''RAISING EXPECTATIONS BE DELETED FROM PARAGRAPH 5. AS EXPLAINED IN OUR FOLLOWING GENERAL COMMENTS, EXPECTATIONS HAVE ALREADY BEEN RAISED. WE SHOULD ALSO AVOID REFERRING TO A FURTHER TWO MONTH DELAY, WHICH WILL HAVE THE EFFECT OF DASHING EXPECTATIONS. IN THE CIRCUMSTANCES, IT WOULD BE BETTER TO LIMIT OURSELVES TO THE MORE GENERAL FORMULA IN THE LAST SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH 5.
10.
GENERAL COMMENTS