TNAG-0331-FCO40-367-Visits-of-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Af-1972 — Page 158

8

Mr Scanlon

1.

with 8

Mas Lambhort-

My Show

En 17/1

I have spoken to Mr Gaminara in the Hong Kong Department about briefing arrangements for the Secretary of State's visit to Hong Kong next month in the light of paragraph 1(i) of Sir Murray Machéhose's telegram below. I understand that briefs will be required to reach the Private Office by 24 January and we should therefore set these in hand as soon as possible next week.

2. It is encouraging that of the two points which the Governor proposes to raise with the Secretary of State, he accords the priority to expatriate staffing problems. The proposed area of discussion seems to me to fall under two headings:-

(i) The provision of staff whether by direct

recruitment of new entrants or by secondments from the United Kingdom service.

(ii) The prospects for securing United Kingdom

supplementation for Hong Kong expatriates.

There should be no difficulty in preparing a brief of a general character on the first of these, but on the second I think at this stage that we should necessarily have to be non-commital. At the end of the day my view is that we will only be able to establish the principle of United Kingdom supplementation for Hong Kong on the basis of an essentially political case. This will probably have to be on the lines that a strengthening of the expatriate element in the Hong Kong Service and an improvement in its calibre is essential for the future good management of the Colony. The only way of providing the additional emoluments and perquisites necessary to achieve this result without running into serious local political difficulty vis à vis local elements of the Hong Kong Public Service is by providing them out of United K. funds. We are still some way off establishing the need for such improvements which call for a presentation in these terms but the outcome of further consideration of the problem by the Governor may well be advanced as a result of his desire to discuss this general question with the Secretary of State. At the present stage however I think briefing on this point will have to be in very generalised terms.

3. I should be grateful if you would arrange for briefs to be put in hand. If possible, I should like them to reach me by Thursday 20 January.

CC:

Mr Zaird Hong Kong Dept Mr C J Hall DTGD

JOBS

JDB Shaw DTGD

14 January 1972.

DD 896639 140609 500M 7/71 GM 3643;2