TNAG-0699-FCO40-850-Maintenance-of-Government-Houses-in-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 31

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ADMINISTRATION IN CONFIDENCE

HKA 364/1

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51

2 7 OCT 1978

Mr Duff, WIAD

Mr Fry, Finance Department, OD Mr Callaghan, Finance Department

DESK OFFICER

REGISTRY

INDEX

PA

Action Taken

ло

Wher

B

*

MAINTENANCE OF GOVERNMENT HOUSES IN DEPENDENT TERRITORIES

1. You have agreed to attend a meeting in my office (Room 246, King Charles Street) at 4pm on Tuesday 31 October to discuss the problems which Governors of some of our poorer Dependent Territories face regarding the upkeep and maintenance of their official residences. It would perhaps be helpful if I tried to set out in advance the issues as I see them.

2. Colonial Regulation 281 decrees that the cost of maintaining Governors' houses should be the responsibility of the Territory. However, this is often a considerable burden especially since many of the residences are old houses and are becoming increasingly expensive to maintain. As a result, especially in some of the poorer territories, Governors are understandably reluctant to ask their Governments for the funds to keep their houses in a tolerable state of repair.

3. The territories in greatest need of help are:-

Anguilla

British Virgin Islands

Montserrat

St Helena

Turks and Caicos

LAST

(47)

NES

REF.

We have asked the Governors of these five territories to estimate the approximate sums needed. Their total bids come to approximately £50,000 initially to bring the properties up to standard and about £15,000 a year thereafter to keep them in good order.

4. I understand that the ODM might be prepared to make the neces- sary funds available from the ODM budget. If this is so, the main problem will be to decide how the money should be transferred to the territories. Three possibilities have been mentioned:-

1.

By direct payment from the ODM Aid Programme

I understand that this is not favoured by ODM since recurrent expenditure of this kind can hardly be regarded as 'developmental".

ii.

Through the normal budgetary processes of the territories concerned, all of which are grant aided.

This would involve ensuring that adequate provision was made in the local budget to cover the proper maintenance of the official residence, with the amount of grant-in- aid being increased accordingly if necessary. However,

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ADMINISTRATION IN CONFIDENCE