TNAG-0749-FCO40-953-Visits-of-officials-from-Hong-Kong-to-UK-1978 — Page 85

J. Ashwood, Esq., CRE 4,

Department of Trade,

1 Victoria Street.

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CRE 48394

MAR/DM

30 January, 1978.

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WR

Thank you for your letter of 17 January listing the seminars which you have arranged for me during May.

2. As you will have seen from my CREDA 34 of 20 January I have no fixed plans for a duty trip to the UK and my sole purpose in coming is to attend the Hong Kong Trade Advisory Group seminars. I have no wish to undertake any other sort of duty tour although I shall naturally take advantage of the trip to call on the DOT, the FCC and ECGD. I need urgent authority from you to charge the journey to the Department of Trade. You will recall that before my departure Christopher Roberts suggested that it was important that the Senior Trade Commissioner should return to the UK annually for duty purposes and it was left that he would seek the agreement of the FCO. According to Diplomatic Service Regulations I am not entitled to a fare paid leave journey until May, 1979 and I, therefore, need to have a formal summons home from London.

3. I shall stay in the UK to complete speaking engagements for so long as you authorise though I do not think I can afford to be away from my post for more than three weeks in total. The Hong Kong Trade Development Council have still not fixed dates for their mission so I am unable to plan my date of departure. I should not have thought that it was vital for me to attend the Surrey and Hants Export Association evening seminar but if the TDC visit takes place in the week beginning April 24 I should be happy to oblige.

4.

I am sending a copy of this letter to John Thompson in Hong Kong and General Department of the FCO and Alister Hunter in Personnel Services Department.

D. M. March