CONFIDENTIAL/ADMINISTRATION IN CONFIDENCE
6.
The Indian Ocean section's responsibilities have centred on the constitutional arrangements for Seychelles independence the return of part of the BIOT to the Seychelles and the winding up of BIOT affairs. A subsidiary problem has been the resettlement of the workers displaced from Diego Garcia.
Workload
7.
The responsibilities of both sections of the department have in recent months provided a solid workload both for desk officers and senior members of the department. The Governor's visit and renewal of the Defence Costs Agreement in the latter part of last year were followed by preparation of a planning paper on the territory's future in anticipation of a visit by the Secretary of State to Hong Kong in early April. Drafting of the paper has occasioned a great deal of both submission and correspondence with the Governor. The interest of Labour Members of Parliament in social and labour conditions in Hong Kong and of members on both sides of the House in the Colony's economic progress produces a steady stream of PQs and MPs' Letters. During the period 22 October 1974 to 12 November 1975, the department handled a total of 165 PQs and 65 MPs' Letters, of which 126 and 42 respectively were on Hong Kong. Since the beginning of this year, there have been 62 PQs and 18 MPs' Letters about Hong Kong. A large number of these are factual and can be answered by requesting Hong Kong for the details. But questions on social and labour matters frequently raise delicate political issues.
8.
It is illustrative of how demanding Dependent Territories work can be in the final stages to independence that the Seychelles and BIOT have in the past year been occupying more of the time of both the Head of department and Assistant than has Hong Kong. The grade 6 Seychelles desk officer, who we are told viewed his first appointment with some dismay, has found the job much more demanding and rewarding than the Canadian desk in NAD. There were more PQs about Diego Garcia in the period October 1974 to November 1975 than there were about Chile, considered a key desk in a political department. The workload is now tapering off but there should still be more or less a workload for all staff until the end of June. The department will then lose all responsibility for the Seychelles and BIOT.
Future Organisation
9. Our brief invited us to consider whether with the disappearance of the Seychelles work the rest of the department could be absorbed into Far Eastern department. An amalgamation would have obvious organisational advantages. FED, subject' to inspection, has a
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3.
CONFIDENTIAL/ADMINISTRATION IN CONFIDENCE
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