Mr Crowson
}
file
175
Reference
HKK 613
la
DISTRIBUTION OF "FRAME" TELEGRAMS
1. Mr Brown's circular 1FB2/37 attached concerns fraue distribution.
2.
X
Frame telegrams are received by this department and make up the bulk of our distribution. Very few of them are of my relevance to our work. I have pondered for some time what could be done to reduce the flow of these telegrams but concluded that we could not dispense with altogether since those that are of interest to us are of considerable importance. I am thinking, for instance, of the ELC GSP telegrams in respect of Hong Kong's textile and footwear and more generally the telegrams about the Textile Working Party and the Community approach to the GATT textile talks.
2.
Whilst, therefore, I welcome Mr Brown's proposals I am somewhat disturbed as I do not see how we would fit into the arrangements. As you will see "frame super" is the same as the present "frame" and would mean that of, say 100 frame telegrams, only 4 or 5% would be of any interest. "Frame departmental" would appear to be more appropriate but I do not see from the outline given that this would cover our needs. We should presumably receive anything copied for instance to the Hong Kong Government of specific Hong Kong interest but this would enable us to keep an eye on the development of textile policy within the Community.
To Me Brown
3. I wonder whether it is worth suggesting that in hat i addition to the new proposals we should suggest to
Mr Brown that there is some vertical division on subjects. This would cover for instance our interests in textiles and would save us from having telegrams on agriculture, budgets, etc. I would have thought other departments would have specific subject interest too.
Mr Brown asked for any comments to reach him by Monday, 26 November.
4.
23 November 1973
M A Goodfellow
OD 145177 219242 500M 4/73 GM 3643/2 .
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.