TNAG-0712-FCO40-899-Policy-on-salary-and-allowances-for-Governors-1979 — Page 54

RESTRICTED

Mr Farrar PPD

4 G

Reference

- HMA4347 1

ple (3)

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51 15 MAY 1978

DESK OFFICER INDEX

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1. Our AUSS, Mr Stratton, has asked this department to look into the possibility of the FCO taking over financial responsibility for the salaries and allowances of Governors of Dependent Territories. This we have already done de facto in those Territories where a DS officer is serving as Governor/Commissioner (Anguilla, Belize, BVI (wef November), Falklands, New Hebrides and Turks & Caicos (wef July)). In these cases the FCO continues to pay the appropriate DS salary and also pays DSA, EDSA, LA and Entertainment Allowance as appropriate. The Territories refund to the FCO the element in their estimates for the Governors' emoluments, a sum usually considerably less than the officer receives from the FCO.

2. Leaving aside those Territories which are shortly to become independent (Gilberts, Solomons and Tuvalu) and those which can afford to pay their Governors proper emoluments, ie as much or more than a DS officer would expect to receive in salary and allowances (Bermuda, Caymans, Hong Kong and Gibraltar), we are left with two Territories (Montserrat and St Helena) which will still be held by non-DS Governors and whose salaries have to be topped-up from FCO funds (Vote 1 C3(4)(a)) because the Territories cannot afford to pay a proper salary. A similar problem occurs in trying to squeeze from the local Governments . an adequate Duty Allowance (the approximate equivalent of an

Entertainment Allowance).

.3. A simple way of solving the problem would be for any non-

DS officer appointed as Governor of one of these ferritories, or of any of the other Territories apart from the four 'rich' ones to be appointed a contract DS officer of the appropriate grade. This would allow the FCO to pay the salary and DS allowances in exactly the same way as is done now for DS Governors, recovering from the Territory whatever it votes for the

Governor's emoluments in its estimates.

4. What I should be grateful to learn is whether it would

be possible for non-D3 officers selected as Governors to be offered DS contract terms without the posts coming onto DS