TNAG-0070-FCO40-106-Disturbances-in-Hong-Kong-propaganda-1968 — Page 49

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G.F. 323

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CONFIDENTIAL

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I accept also that we must look more to the universities as a source of future recruitment, and indeed this policy in respect of local recruitment is already in force in my department and a number of university graduates without specialised, professional working experience have already been recruited. But if expanding information services are to

take greater account of the value of administrative officers and univer- sity graduates as a means of developing effective information teams care must be exercised not to build up too large a group of policy makers to the exclusion of the craftsmen and professionals who must be available to carry out the policy. It should be remembered that all the officers I have seconded to Special Unit duties are the product of my professional recruitment programme and this must continue in step with the recruitment of officers with other backgrounds.

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9. I cannot accept the contention that "there is not much sign that any of them (existing Infomation Services Department staff) have the potential to act as responsible advisors on public information capable of exercising any degree of judgement and initiative". I believe we have now amongst our local officers at least five, who are capable of filling the departmental S.I.0. appointments, with a very real chance that they might given the encouragement and training be suitable P.1.0. material

in the future. I also believe that the emotional demand for localisation of the Civil Service is a political factor which cannot lightly be dis- regarded, and the programme of localisation which has taken place under my direction during the past four years has contributed greatly to staff morale and efficiency and has done much to make the department more acceptable to the local press. Continuing effort must be made to exploit and encourage local talents to come forward and fill the front ranks of

our information services.

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10. Departmental information units should be headed by a P.I.0. who, initially, will, in most cases, have to be an expatriate officer. these circumstances the S.I.0. must be a local officer capable of deputising for the P.I.0. in direct relations with the public and the local press.

This may mean that the S.I.0. will have very little time to work as a publicity officer and in addition to the full or part time services of departmental administrative officers. Some strengthening of the unit staffs above the basic recommendations in the Report may be necessary.

Also some of the central technical services in the

department may have to be strengthened to meet the demands of the departmental units as the scheme gets under way e.g. film, photographic, design and teleprinter services.

CONFIDENTIAL

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