TNAG-0363-FCO40-409-Appointments-of-senior-officers-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 4

GRS 160

PHER CAT A

FM FCO 201705Z

CONFIDENTIAL

STAFF IN CONFIDENCE

CONFIDENTIAL

(HK)

63

REGISTRY No. C1

FIVED IN

28 DEC 1973

HKKI 9

TO ROUTINE GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELNO 1312 OF 20 DECEMBER 1973

YOUR TELNO 1375: DIRECTOR OF PUBLIC WORKS,

1. PROMOTION OF MR D W MCDONALD IS PROVISIONALLY APPROVED AS

PROPOSED,

2. IF YOU CONSIDER IT ESSENTIAL TO ANNOUNCE THIS EVEN BEFORE ROBSON'S

SUBSTANTIVE APPOINTMENT AS SECRETARY FOR THE ENVIRONMENT, WE WOULD AGREE. WE HAVE HOWEVER NOTICED THAT MR MCDONALD IS RELATIVELY YOUNG AND, DOES NOT COME FROM AMONG THE ENGINEERS WHO ARE STRONG IN THE

P.W.D. IT DOES NOT APPEAR FROM HIS CONFIDENTIAL REPORTS THAT HE

IS WELL KNOWN OUTSIDE THE DEPARTMENT. THE ONLY COUNTER-SIGNATURE ON

THESE REPORTS. IS BY LLOYD IN MARCH 1973 WHO SAID HE DID NOT KNOW

HIM VERY WELL.

3. IF, AS SEEMS POSSIBLE, THE P.W.D. BECOMES AN AREA OF INTEREST

FOR THE ANTI-CORRUPTION COMMISSION, HAS MCDONALD THE ADMINISTRATIVE CAPACITY TO KEEP HIS DEPARTMENT GOING AND THE AUTHORITY TO MAINTAIN ITS MORALE ? OUR AGREEMENT IS ON THE ASSUMPTION THAT YOU HAVE

ALREADY CONSIDERED THESE POINTS, BUT IF THERE IS TIME, WE WOULD BE

GRATEFUL FOR YOUR COMMENTS BEFORE THE APPOINTMENT IS ANNOUNCED.

DOUGLAS-HOME

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CONFIDENTIAL