31
11DEC 1975
TACK 3/548/9
RESTRICTED
PUL 3/2/9
Chief Clerk
Mr Martin
Mr O'Keeffe will Any points you
attend.
have should be
16 him.
may
addressed
DEFENCE & EXTERNAL AFFAIRS SUB-COMMITTEE (DEASC)
De
"3/rii
1. Further to our telephone discussion yesterday, I now attach a note about my visit to the Clerk of DEASC, Douglas Millar.
2. I should perhaps point out that some of the subjects he mentions as having been raised, obviously arose as a result of political/background briefings which the sub- committee had asked of our Representatives. It does not mean that those subjects, some of which appear to be outside the sub-committee's Order of Reference, will necessarily be raised at the evidence session on Tuesday 9 December. If the sub-committee do stray from their authorised lines of enquiry, our witness could answer or profess himself unable to do so, but he should be careful not to encourage the Sub-Committee to enquire into general foreign policy questions; policy behind matters relating to expenditure is different and questions on it should be answered if at all possible. Answers to delicate questions can be given with a sidelining request, or the promise to obtain information and submit a paper later on.
3. I had another word with Mr Millar about the Sub-Committee's apparent divergence from their authorised lines of enquiry, pointing out that, with particular regard to questions raised in Hong Kong, they seemed to have expressed interest in questions not relating either to (UK) defence, or expenditure. Mr Millar disagreed and said that the questions did relate to UK expenditure see paragraph 2(a), (b) and (c)(i) of my note on Hong Kong. I cannot see, however, that the questions at paragraph 2(c)(ii) and 2(d) can in any way be regarded as relating to expenditure but then nothing may be asked on them if answers already received in Hong Kong were considered by the Sub-Committee to be satisfactory.
2 December 1975
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Hisi
J C Sloman
Parliamentary Commissioner and Committees Unit
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