TNAG-0137-FCO40-173-Supply-of-political-and-economic-information-to-Hong-Kong-to-1969 — Page 53

4

(13) and (22) on HWB 6/20

(5)

Credit Insurance Corporation.

That request concerned

the supply to the Corporation of copies of reports sent by our posts abroad to our Export Credit

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Guarantee Department. As you will see from the final (ministerial) exchanges, the Board of Trade refused the request principally for security reasons and because of the additional work-load it would impose on staff in overseas posts. We never did think much of the second argument since no more was involved than running off an extra carbon copy; and the question of security we were prepared to leave entirely to the discretion of the originating post which could hold back any sensitive item. There is no doubt that

a very real factor in the Board of Trade's thinking on this matter was the fact that Hong Kong is a competitor in some markets, although it was made clear in the earlier official exchanges that information regarding trade opportunities was not being sought in this

connection.

5. In a later letter, Mr. Maddocks has enlarged on the differences between his and the earlier approach. He has emphasised that the information is required for a department of the Hong Kong Government and not for Hong Kong's Export Credit Insurance Corporation; that general information is being sought for use in framing policy and tactics, not detailed information for the purpose of assessing market risks. He has indicated that he himself would act as a security filter (as you may be aware he is a Counsellor in the Diplomatic Service, the post of Political Adviser being filled on secondment). He makes the point that a great deal more is being done to hand out information to independent Commonwealth territories (for whose

well-being and good administration we carry no direct responsibility).

6. I very much hope we can see our way to agreeing this request. I suggest that the extra burden it will impose on the staff of overseas posts is minimal; the

request is not for special reports tailored to cover Hong Kong's interests but for the despatch to Hong Kong of copies of "general reports" (Mr. Maddocks' words) that are prepared in the ordinary course, I suggest also that the security aspects can be safely left to a combination of the discretion of the originating post and the scrutiny of the Political Adviser's office.

/71.