Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
DRAFT MINUTE
To:-
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Secret.
Confidentia..
Mr Rowlands
Restricted.
Unclassified.
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CONFIDENTIAL
Type 1 +
FROM
Chief Clerk
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Department
FLAGS A & B
E.B. & Co. 56-3197 9/75
DEFENCE AND EXTERNAL AFFAIRS SUB-COMMITTEE (DEASC)
1. FCO officials have been summoned to appear before the Sub-Committee on Tuesday 9 December following the Sub- Committee's return from a visit to Hong Kong, Cyprus and Athens. Mr Hawley, AUSS, will lead our team and he will be supported by Mr Goodison of SED, Mr O'Keeffe of HKIOD and Mr Thom of ASD. Mr Sloman of the Parliamentary
Commissioner and Committees Unit has been in touch with
the Clerk of the Sub-Committee and his minutes of 1 and
4 December indicate the line of questioning which the Committee is likely to follow.
2. You may recall that the terms of reference for the House of Commons Expenditure Committee, of which the DEASC is a Sub-Committee, are that "there shall be a Select Committee, to be called the Expenditure Committee,
to
consider any papers on public expenditure presented to
this House and such of the Estimates as seem fit to the
Committee and in particular to consider how, if at all, the policies implied in the figures of expenditure and in the Estimates may be carried out more economically,... Unlike the previous Estimates Committee, the Expenditure Committee is not barred from considering the policy behind the figures and I understand that Ministers have on occasion appeared before such Committees to discuss aspects
of policy.
3. It is of course the duty of our officials to be as helpful as possible to the Committee but it is normal practice for officials to answer only questions of fact
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