TNAG-0068-FCO40-104-Future-of-the-British-Trade-Commission-1968 — Page 40

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In his telegram to the Commonwealth Secretary from Singapore, Mr. Robert Maxwell has raised two points about Hong Kong. first was the appointment of an Information Officer on the staff of the British Trade Commission and the second the small number of neon signs advertising British goods. Both of these points were being considered before they were raised by Mr. Maxwell.

Information Officer for the Trade Commission

2. The Principal British Trade Commissioner, Mr. M.P.V.Hannam, wrote on 15th December, 1966 to the Diplomatic Service Adminis tration office about the desirability of establishing an informa- tion section on his staff. He said that ideally he would like a home-based Information Officer assisted by some local staff to run a proper British Information Service Office, but he felt that a request of this sort would probably get nowhere and was in any case outside his orbit as Trade Commissioner; he therefore made a case for a locally engaged officer to work on some purely commercial information projects that he had in mind.

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3. At the request of CRE.2, General Division informed the DSAO that the Board of Trade supported Mr. Hannam's case for a locally engaged Information Officer to fill the gap until a full-scale inspection of the Post by the D3A0 Commercial Inspector, planned for early in 1968, could be carried out. proposal for a separate Information Office has the support of Xthe Joint Information Policy and Guidance Department of the

Commonwealth Office and Foreign Office. However, we understand from the Establishment and Organisation Department of the DSAO that no decision has been made or is likely to be until after the inspection. The problem is that the Information Vote was cut last August as part of the Government's general economy measures and it is difficult to find the money to open a new office.

Neon Advertising Signe in Hong Kong

4. Mr. Maxwell suggests that BNEO should be invited to give urgent attention to the question of increasing trade with Hong Kong and refers to the small number of neon signs advertising British goods.

5. In fact BNEC Asia decided in the Spring to set up a sub- committee to concentrate on Hong Kong. Because the chairman designate, Mr. Eric Dilley of Taylor Woodrow International, was away in the United States on a Government-sponsored course ́at the Harvard Business School from June to September, the sub- committee which is know as the Hong Kong Trade Advisory Group was not constituted until September and held its first meeting on 24th October, 1967. Since then it has met twice more and it is expected to meat monthly in future.

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One of the first items considered by the Trade Advisory Group was the scarcity of British prestige advertising signs in Hong Kong. After consultation with the British Trade Commission a list has been drawn up of about 20 large firms who might be expected to be interested and Mr. Montague, the Chairman of BNEC Asia and Mr. Dilley have addressed a personal letter to the Chairman of each of the Companies. It is not yet know what the response will be but one of the difficulties is the high cost of