TNAG-0594-FCO40-740-Staffing-in-the-Dependent-Territories-in-the-1980s-1977 — Page 89

14

Mr Rushford

24 JUN 1977

HKA 4317.

CONFIDENTIAL STAFF IN CONFIDENCE

Tám

W/16

24/6.

In heitten Tam Is Goney cy Mafell Jess of 2716 уль

LEGAL AND JUDICIAL STAFFING IN THE DEPENDENT TERRITORIES IN THE 1980's

1.

I have been reflecting on Mr Greenwood's minute to me of 15 June; and we had a brief discussion about the matter yesterday.

2.

I find it difficult to disagree with Mr Greenwood's analysis of the requirements for the 1980's, although I think we may have to explore further the extent to which appointments of senior legal advisers can be filled from local sources. Certainly I could not take on board a requirement for 5 or 6 expatriate senior legal advisers at any one time without a substantial increase in the establishment of the FCO legal advisers. Moreover, it is not simply a question of increasing the establishment; promotion prospects among the FCO legal advisers would be adversely affected if our establishment were increased at the Grade 5 level without any increase at higher levels. All this leads me to think that, before any definitive decisions are taken, we should seek to establish rather more clearly the extent to which it may be possible to fill some of these appointments of senior legal advisers from local sources.

3. In any event, I have some doubts about the possibility of securing the co-operation of another Government department in a joint scheme with the FCO for secondments to dependent

The territories (paragraph 5 of Mr Greenwood's minute). Advisory Branch of the Treasury Solicitor's Department is limited in numbers; and I very much doubt whether Sir

Basil Hall would be prepared to take on the extra burden of seconding one or more of the lawyers in his Advisory Branch to service in dependent territories.

O present establishment of the FCO legal advisers,

We are at

I could not agree to take on this extra burden. full stretch already; and the burden of conference work serviced from London is constantly growing.

iolo

Jun Sindhi's

عدد

Ian Sinclair

Legal Adviser

23 June 1977

c.c.

Mr JAB Stewart Mr Greenwood (o.r.)

CONFIDENTIAL

STAKE IN CONFIDENCE.