TNAG-0705-FCO40-870-Inspection-of-Dependent-Territories-1978 — Page 26

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Mr Laupence

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Ros Gregory Es подарату

-the next step is probably

a counter to Governor, which INSPECTION OF DEPENDENT TERRITORIES we should first clear with the

at In spectante

1. In your minute of 21 February 1978 you mentioned that Diplomatic Service Inspectors are not normally equipped to inspect local governments in Dependent Territories since their remit is restricted to matters of direct concern to the FCO. I certainly do not dispute this. The problem is to define exactly what is of direct concern to the FCO. The Secretary of State is answerable for the good administration of the Dependent Territories, and it is the responsibility of Depart- ments in the Dependent Territories Division to advise him an this. Since these Departments are part of the FCO, the administration of the Dependent Territories must surely be accepted to be a matter of direct concern to the FCO.

2. A case could thus be made for inspection of all aspects of administration in the Dependent Territories, and in many ways this would be no bad thing. But it would be a massive undertaking and obviously impossible with our present resources. It would also be contrary to a long tradition of leaving Governors with extensive delegated powers, and would undoubtedly cause much resentment. There are, however, certain points on which we in London require regular, reliable advice and we should be grateful, therefore, if arrangements could be made to include all the remaining Dependent Territories in the normal cycle of inspections instead of their merely being included, as I understand to be the case at the moment, on an ad hoc basis if there happens to be an Inspector in the area).

3. The points on which we require advice mostly concern conditions of service for expatriate staff, particularly since we are now having to send increasing numbers of DS staff to the Dependent Territories as the number of serving members of the old Colonial Service (now HMOCS) declines. Our first concern is with the emoluments of Governors and other Officers Administering Governments (OAGS). There are three ways in which OAGS may be paid:

(a) directly and fully by the Territory concerned;

(b) directly by the Territory, but with topping up provided by the FCO in cases where the salary offered by the Territory is judged not to be adequate, but we accept that the Territory itself cannot afford to pay more;

$219/4

(c) directly by the FCO; we then recover from the Territory such funds as they may allocate for the post concerned.

ADMINISTRATION IN CONFIDENCE