TNAG-0592-FCO40-725-Inspection-of-Hong-Kong-and-Indian-Ocean-Department-1976 — Page 48

Reference...

Mr Morgan, Inspectorate

NEWSPAPERS PERIODICALS AND REFERENCE BOOKS

1.

Your minute of 28 April refers.

り

2. I quite take your point about the need for economies in the supply of newspapers, periodicals and reference books and agree

Indeed, that the present supply to HKIOD is somewhat lavish.

I confess that I did not know that we received quite so many reference books and more than a single copy of a fair number of them. I agree:-

(a)

(b)

that the number of daily newspapers to be supplied should be reduced from three to two with Mr O'Keeffe being left to choose which he wants;

that only one weekly periodical should be supplied in future. I am sure that everyone in the department would give priority to "The Economist" and perhaps that could be our choice. I assume you will recommend that we receive two copies. This is subject to News Department sending us photostats of any items of Hong Kong interest from eg the "New Statesman" or the "Spectator" (owned by Henry Keswick of

(c) that one copy each of the Diplomatic Gervice List,

Yearbook of the Commonwealth and List of HM Ministers and Senior Staff in Public Departments, as opposed to the present 2, 3 and 4 copies respectively, will be sufficient. I am not sure what you intend as regards Vacher's Farliamentary Companion, but would ask that we be allowed to continue to receive 2 copies of it. It is the department's practice in submitting draft replies to PQs and MPs' letters, about which I am letting you have details separately, to indicate the constituency and party allegiance of the Member concerned. For this purpose, it is helpful for the Assistant/Third Room(s) as well as the Head of the Department to have access to a copy of Vacher's. I am likewise not clear whether you intend to let us continue to have one copy each of the Civil Service Yearbook, Whitaker's Almanack and Who's Who (one year old). If you intend that we should manage without these reference books I would like first to check with Mr O'Keeffe that he has no objection. should obviously continue to receive the Hong Kong publications, for which no charge is made, listed in the attachment to your minute.

We

29 April 1976

C

D F MILTON

Hong Kong and Indian Ocean

Department

(K 247 233-4381)

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