TNAG-0363-FCO40-409-Appointments-of-senior-officers-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 42

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PRIORITY

CYPHER/CAT A

FM F C O 141235Z

DEDIP

STAFF IN CONFIDENCE

43

HKK 1/9

TO PRIORITY GOVERNOR HONG KONG TELNO 254 OF 14 MARCH, 1973

PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM WATSON.

MIPT: APPOINTMENT OF COLONIAL SECRETARY

PIA

Des 15/3

1, PARAGRAPH 2 BELOW CONTAINS THE DRAFT OF A LETTER OF APPOINTMENT

WHICH YOU SHOULD ISSUE TO DENYS ROBERTS IMMEDIATELY.

2.

I AM DIRECTED BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS TO OFFER YOU APPOINTMENT AS COLONIAL SECRETARY,

HONG KONG. THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS ARE AS PRESCRIBED FROM TIME

TO TIME. YOU WOULD BE EXPECTED TO TAKE UP THE APPOINTMENT WITH

EFFECT FROM 1 JANUARY 1974.

YOUR ACCEPTANCE OF THIS APPOINTMENT WOULD NOT PRECLUDE YOU

FROM CONSIDERATION FOR APPOINTMENT AS CHIEF JUSTICE HONG KONG WHEN

THAT POST NEXT FALLS VACANT, THOUGH YOU SHOULD APPRECIATE THAT THE

QUESTION OF YOUR SUITABILITY FOR APPOINTMENT AS CHIEF JUSTICE WOULD

THEN HAVE TO BE ASSESSED AGAIN FROM EVERY POINT OF VIEW.

I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD INFORM ME WHETHER OR NOT YOU

ACCEPT THIS APPOINTMENT.

I AM

SIR

YOUR OBEDIENT SERVANT''

3. SHOULD YOU OR ROBERTS FEEL IT NECESSARY TO SET OUT IN FULL

THE TERMS AND CONDITIONS AT PRESENT OBTAINING FOR THIS APPOINTMENT

THERE WOULD BE NO OBJECTION TO YOUR SETTING THESE OUT IN THE BODY

OF THE LETTER OR AS AN ADDENDUM THERETO.

4. WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD LET US HAVE A COPY OF THE

LETTER YOU ISSUE TO ROBERTS AND A COPY OF HIS REPLY,

DOUGLAS-HOME

FILE S: HEAD HKIOD

HEAD G & G D MR. LARMOUR

MR. WILFORD

SIR D. WATSON

COPIES TO:

MR. FIFOOT, LEGAL ADVISER MR. KUSHFORD, LEGAL ADVISER