SECRET
Shoke Peter Bellamy (Macawn on (w) It and speak PUSOI Denwaddy
Copy & Gellany
..
to 1. woodrolle
_HKK 382/1
INDEX
- 9 OCT1978
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Nol
13/10 80.
督府
RY
en
b5/io ar Der Riten.
GOVERNMENT HOUSE
HONG KONG
29 September 1978
i thompson
61
Can the review be setup in time? What is the significance of dopping the Special Brand or man - was this originally or iden or the Govenors Thank you for your letter of 14 September (HKK 010/6).
REVIEW OF SPECIAL BRANCH
1.
60
829/6
2. I have consulted the Commissioner of Police and the Director of Special Branch and we agree with the terms of reference which you have proposed, and also that the resulting report should be submitted to me.
3. As regards timing, it would be preferable for the review to be carried out sooner rather than later. The present Director, James Morrin, has only recently taken command, and can be expected to formulate his own ideas as to possible change, and it would be as well for all these to coincide as much as possible. The best time would be during the first two or three weeks of November; Morrin leaves for the Commonwealth Security Conference in Delhi on 16 November and after his return on 25 November has a fairly full programme for the next two months of bi-lateral conferences with visiting teams from liaison services, during which it would perhaps be inappropriate for the review to be carried out.
4. This review will have to avoid publicity and this will not be easy, since Hong Kong in general and the Police in particular are such rumour shops. Now that things have settled down satisfactorily, any word of a further investigation of the Police, and particularly of Special Branch, could easily get out of hand and have most undesirable repercussions. Moreover given the characteristics of the intelligence world the review will also have to be done with tact! The Hong Kong Special Branch is a very large, experienced, and I think successful organisation, and we must be very careful to avoid any suggestion that its loyalty or efficiency are in question in any case neither are.
RJT McLaren Esq
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Hong Kong & General Department
FCO
/ It
SECRET
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