TNAG-0349-FCO40-385-Valedictory-despatch-from-Governor-of-Hong-Kong--Sir-David-T-1972 — Page 12

5

KEDVE IN

REGISTRY No.51

/the bais

of

Miss Emery PDTD

FCQ

FCO PRINT AND DEPENDENT TERRITORIES

1.

HKK 13/6

Dependent Territories General Department can only be concerned with questions about the distribution of print to dependent territories to the extent of concerting standard procedures and arrangements for general automatic distribution of print. The present position is that FCO print is not sent out on an automatic distribution to depen- dent territory Governors etc. as happens in the case of Heads of Diplomatic Missions. There are, in my view, good reasons for maintaining this position; firstly, on security grounds, given the varying standards of physical security in a number of dependent territories, and secondly, since the bulk of FCO print from Diplomatic Service Posts is likely to be of minimal and at most very peripheral interest to dependent territory Governors.

2. I agree however that Governors should certainly see print from neighbouring Diplomatic Service Posts in which they are likely to have an obvious interest. Normally, I think that this is taken care of by the Diplomatic Post concerned, for example, despatches from Madrid or Buenos Aires are normally copied by the originating post to the Governors of Gibraltar and the Falkland Islands respectively. Where this dependent territory interest happens to be over- looked by the originating post, I think the responsibility must lie with the dependent territory geographical depart- ment concerned to spot a particular despatch which ought to be seen by one or more of their Governors, and to arrange for copies to be sent out on an ad hoc basis.

3. It seems to me that the same procedure has to be applied to the dissemination of printed despatches originating in other dependent territories. In other words, when a Governor sends in a despatch which is likely to be of general interest to other Governors, the recipient dependent territory geographical department should be responsible for ensuring its wider distribution. The over-riding point is that as with telegrams, automatic distribution arrangements are only practicable on a general basis, and must I think provide for all printed despatches to go to all dependent territories or none at all. Any requirement of a more selective character can only be on. /, as I see it, on ad hoc action by which- ever dependent territory geographical department is primarly concerned.

Miss Kelly

ANG

9.2.72.

14.