TNAG-0686-FCO40-835-Secondment-of-Deputy-Commissioner-of-Police-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 11

CONFIDENTIAL

REGARDED BY THE FORCE AS AN INDICATION THAT THE GOVERNMENT DOES

NOT APPRECIATE THE FRAGILITY OF THE FORCE'S MORALE OR HENRY'S

VITAL ROLE IN IMPROVING IT. NOR, I FEAR, WOULD THE PUBLIC

UNDERSTAND WHY HE HAD BEEN PERMITTED TO GO AT SUCH A VITAL TIME.

9. IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES, AND WITH GREAT REGRET, SINCE I

REALISE THAT THIS MAY CAUSE DIFFICULTIES, I MUST ASK YOU TO RELEASE US FROM OUR AGREEMENT TO SECOND HENRY TO RHODESIA IF HE

IS REQUIRED.

10. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS WITH SLEVIN AND HENRY, BOTH OF THEM

ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH MY VIEW.

11. IF YOU FEEL ABLE TO AGREE TO THIS, THE REPLY TO FURTHER QUESTIONS COULD BE THAT -

A) TENTATIVE ARRANGEMENTS WERE MADE FOR HENRY TO BE

SECONDED TO RHODESIA:

(B) BUT IN VIEW OF RECENT EVENTS IN HONG KONG THE COMMISSIONER HAS ASKED THAT HENRY SHOULD NOT BE RELEASED:

(C) THAT THE GOVERNOR SUPPORTS THIS REQUEST AND THAT YOU

HAVE AGREED.

12. THE FORCE IS FULL OF RUMOURS THAT HENRY IS GOING TO RHODESIA, I WOULD LIKE TO BE ABLE TO QUASH THEM FAIRLY SOON ON THE LINES OF PARAGRAPH 11, UNLESS AN EARLY ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD BE DIFFICULT FOR YOU.

ROBERTS

FILES.

RHOD

D.

HKIGD.

ора

NEWS D.

Ps.

MR GRAHAM

MR MANSFIELD

MR WEIR.

-2

CONFIDENTIAL.

COPIES TO

MR STEEL- LEGAL ADVISERS,