TNAG-0686-FCO40-835-Secondment-of-Deputy-Commissioner-of-Police-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 5

GR 210

PRIORITY

CYPHER CAT A

CONFIDENTAL

HKK 382/15

·PA-77

'No R$ 3" de

FM HONG KONG 290902Z

CONFIDENTIAL

TO PRIORITY F C O TELNO 1212 OF 29 NOVEMBER 1977.

И

See

MY TELNO 1200 OF 25 NOVEMBER AND TELECON ROBERTS/STEWART OF

26 NOVEMBER.

133

THE RUMOURS ABOUT HENRY'S DEPARTURE SEEM TO HAVE QUIETENED WITHIN THE FORCE, THOUGH THEY HAVE REACHED EXECUTIVE COUNCIL. I ASSURED MEMBERS OF COUNCIL THIS MORNING THAT THOUGH WE WISHED TO AVOID ANY PUBLIC ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE FACT, THAT IT WAS NOT (REPEAT NOT), WITH LORD CARVER'S AGREEMENT, NOW INTENDED TO RELEASE HENRY.

2. I FULLY APPRECIATE LORD CARVER'S DIFFICULTIES AND THEREFORE

PROPOSE TO ACT AS FOLLOWS:

31

A. TO SAY NO MORE ABOUT HENRY'S FUTURE FOR AS LONG AS WE REASONABLY

CAN:

B. IF QUESTIONED ABOUT IT, WITHIN THE NEXT SIX WEEKS, TO REPLY THAT THERE IS NO PROSPECT OF HENRY BEING REQUIRED IN THE NEAR FUTURE, BUT THAT IF HE IS NEEDED IN THE FUTURE THE REQUEST WILL BE CONSIDERED IN THE LIGHT OF THE CIRCUMSTANCES AT THAT TIME: C. TO ANNOUNCE ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY THAT HENRY WILL NOT

BE GOING TO RHODESIA.

3. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU WOULD CONFIRM THAT AN ANNOUNCEMENT ABOUT THE MIDDLE OF JANUARY, ON THE LINES SUGGESTED IN PARAGRAPH 2(C) WOULD BE ACCEPTABLE.

ROBERTS

FILES

RHODESIA D

HROGD

OPA

NEWS D

PS

PS/MR ROWLANDS

Psjpus

MR GRAHAM

MRMANSFIELD MR WEIR

COPIES MR STREL

то

LEGAL ADVISERs

CONFIDENTAL