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Workload
44. The aid desk has a heavy load which may well increase as the development programme for Gibraltar gets under way.
Mr Brown was new to the section at the time of our inspection and also very busy. But the workload as a whole seems to be within the capacity of 3 officers and we see no reason for any change of establishment.
Documentation
45. The department have a very large quantity of reference papers stored in their room, some of which have not been looked at for several years. We recommend that these should be weeded and Library and Records department consulted about disposal of all those that are not still in active use.
Registry Services
46.
A report on the registry by Miss B MacGregor and Mr V E Day of the Registrar's Branch is attached at Annex F.
47. Gibraltar and General department have made a start towards integrating their Registry with the department and this has left us with a difficult decision. The main centralized body of the Registry is housed, along with the Registry of North America department, in a huge depressing room which staff have been understandably anxious to leave. On the other hand, the one member so far integrated, the grade 10 in the General section of the department, was at the time of our inspection so under- employed that boredom had off-set the advantages (more responsibility and drafting) that had come with integration. She has since been busier and has subsequently been replaced by a new entrant who had not had either an induction course Registry training.
48. The Working Party which reviewed the FCO's Registry and filing system in 1974 listed Gibraltar and General department Registry as one which could be integrated with the department. There is indeed much to be said for integration. The department is divided into three clearly defined sections and the Registry sections follow the same general pattern. There are accommodation problems at present but these should be soluble if our staffing recommendations for the department are accepted. A reduction in the staff of the Administration section should enable their grade 10 and files to be housed with them and the disappearance of the two Advisers would enable the section clerk of Gibraltar section to be housed in the adjoining room.
49. Miss MacGregor and Mr Day have demonstrated clearly that a Registry staff of three grade 10s would be underemployed. They have therefore recommended that the integrated Registry post in
16.
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