TNAG-0694-FCO40-844-Inspection-of-Hong-Kong-Department-1977 — Page 5

CONFIDENTIAL/ADMINISTRATION IN CONFIDENCE

Chief Clerk

Chief Inspector

I. von to def. MINTON.

INSPECTION OF HONG KONG AND INDIAN OCEAN DEPARTMENT

I submit my report on Hong Kong and Indian Ocean department.

2. The department is at a transition stage. Its responsibility for the Indian Ocean territories, which have taken more than 50% of the time of both the Head of department and Assistant during the past year, will end when the Seychelles become independent on 29 June. Thereafter, HKIOD will be left with a Head of department, Assistant and two desk officers responsible - for Hong Kong. There may have to be more desk officers if

recommendations, in a planning paper now under discussion, for a more direct intervention in Hong Kong affairs are eventually accepted. For this reason I have recommended against any immediate amalgamation with FED. I have,

I have, however, recommended that HKIOD should take over at least temporarily the General and the Administrative, Judicial and Legal Staffing sections of Gibraltar and General department when the Gibraltar section is transferred to Southern European department and G & GD is disbanded. If the General and the Administrative, Legal and Judicial Staffing sections are moved on elsewhere or dispersed and the requirement for an enlarged desk establishment to look after Hong Kong should not materialise, an amalgamation with FED can be reconsidered.

The Head of

3. POD and PPD concur in the recommendations. HKIOD considers that the shape of his department will need further consideration when all the various uncertainties about the future relationship with the Hong Kong government are resolved. In the nature of things this can scarcely be expected before the autumn. Mr Male has commented that the proposals in the report seem logical in present circumstances, and given the need to take a forward look at the move of the Dependent Territories to independence and the shift in emphasis and workload that this will produce over the coming months.

4. Mr Stanley believes that the attachment of the 'rump' of Gibraltar and General department to HKIOD would work satisfactorily in producing the necessary support, in coordination, doctrine and overseas staffing, for the remaining Dependent Territories departments. In case the recommendation is not agreed he puts forward two altern tive proposals for the 'rump'

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CONFIDENTIAL/ADMINISTRATION IN CONFIDENCE