TNAG-0572-FCO40-705-Monitoring-of-progress-made-on-planning-paper-on-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 112

COVERING SECRET

Reference...

3

in the Executive Council; passage through the Legislative Council, date for the introduction of the measures etc, etc.

4 August 1976

D.F. Milkin

DF Milton

Hong Kong Department

*would

Mr Janyin

Mr Milyon bls.

Mr Stewart

Because of

1. Whilst the bi-monthly reports are useful, they are not primarily designed to be read by this department. this, they are sometimes accompanied by a letter commenting on items of special interest.

2. The reports are useful in that they describe the whole range of activities of the particular branch and they should therefore be read by the desk officer. I have my doubts, though, as to whether they should be given a wider circulation since this might lead to too much detailed comment which could involve us in long correspondence with Hong Kong to little profitable purpose.

3. In addition to the bi-monthly reports, we should, as Mr Milton suggests, receive some kind of check list which we can monitor. The Governor has said that Hong Kong's social plans should be submitted in a form susceptible to hard monitoring by the department.

4.

What we require is an annual plan drawn up by each department, showing what it proposes to achieve during a financial year. These plans would, of necessity, have to be tied to annual estimates and would therefore need to be approved by the Financial Secretary. The plans would differ in form. Thus, plans involving legislation would need to show a timetable of the various stages necessary to translate them into law; plans for housing/require a timetable showing the number of units to be built within the financial year. Not all the plans of departments would require to be monitored and it would be for this department to decide which aspects to monitor.

5. We should not, of course, wish to degenerate into "progress chasers", for this would not help our relations with Hong Kong. To avoid this we could perhaps suggest that the annual plans be brought up to date at three-monthly intervals, giving explanations for any short-falls.

27 August 1976

T Duffy

Hong Kong Department