TNAG-0283-FCO40-319-Exchange-of-officers-between-government-of-Hong-Kong-and-UK--1970 — Page 78

STAFF: IN CONFIDENCE

(2)

(d)

unofficial members of the executive and the legislature against the FCO, which bedevils all H.M.G's dealings with Hong Kong, and the best way to dispel that prejudice is to let such people see from experience of diplomatic officers working in the Hong Kong machine what excellent chaps the re are in the service. If there is a distinction to be drawn between helping the Governor and helping ourselves (and we are both working to the same end) it is he at the moment who can help us most rather than the reverse.

The career planning difficulties set out in Mr. Martin's note will of course apply to the proposals in the Morgan/Rolfe report as a whole, since it is clear that secondment will have to be an increasingly important means of staffing dependent territories as a whole. Surely in the last resort the Service must exist to let Ministers discharge their responsibilities. Moreover, so long as there is financial pressure on us to reduce expenditure on the Service there ought to be advantage in having overseas posts in which we could salt away some reserves of manpower at someone'else's expense.

2. In the light of the above I could hardly write as proposed to the Governor, though I could ask him to explain in greater depth the openings in Hong Kong (I have already warned him orally of the difficulties in finding Grade 5As) but he would need some guidance from us as to "posts" that could provide experience relevant to a general D.S. career.

cc.

Mr. Wilford Mr. Day Mr. Carter

Wizz 17.

(L. Monson)

7, January, 1970.