TNAG-0824-FCO40-1032-Terms-of-service-of-Governors-1979 — Page 59

HKA 430/2

RAJAVLJ

21 MARI/9

233-4381

D Mackay Esq

HOA Division

Civil Service Department Old Admiralty Building

LONDON SW1

B.U. 28/5

to Mr Green

Nsted P.P.

BU

ви

نهما لا

4.

Voted PA

et

84 2/3

20 March 1979

E

19/2

LAST

REF.

CONDITIONS OF SERVICE FOR GOVERNORS IN DEPENDENT TERRITORIES

2024

1. We should be grateful for your help in solving a problem that has arisen over the terms of service of the Governors of our com- paratively few remaining Lependent Territories.

2. Under the arrangements enshrined in Colonial Regulations, responsibility for paying Governors' emoluments and expenses lies mostly with the Governments of the territories concerned (though the FCO, as the successor to the Colonial Office, does pay certain expenses relating to the Covernor's first appointment and final departure from post). Hitherto, these arrangements have worked perfectly satisfactorily, since we were either dealing with large and relatively wealthy territories where Governors' expenses were an insignificant part of the local budget, or else, in the smaller territories, political development had not pro- gressed beyond the stage at which we in London retained effective control over the way money was spent.

3. However, we are now left with mostly small, poor territories which have progressed so far along the road to internal self- government that Governors' relations with their local Ministers

a constant exercise in tact and diplomacy. In such a situ- ation, it becomes tricky for a Governor to get involved in argu- ments over money for his personal requirements. In fact few of them have complained, but visiting senior officers from the FCO have several times reported that in a number of territories Governors are putting up with sub-standard conditions rather than put their relations with their Ministers at risk by arguing over their personal needs.

4. The main problem is over the upkeep and repair of their houses. We have discussed this with the ODM who accept that, since the houses in question are the property of the governments in the territories concerned, their maintenance is a proper charge on aid funds. We have therefore devised a system which will, where appro- priate, provide for the cost of the upkeep of Government Houses to be made from aid funds in such a way that it will not appear locally that the money is being diverted from allocations that would otherwise be available for local development purposes.

This

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