TNAG-0824-FCO40-1032-Terms-of-service-of-Governors-1979 — Page 60

leaves two other areas where we fear Governors may be losing out: the payment for leave journeys and reimbursement of the cost of necessary official hospitality. The FCO already pay Governors' travel costs when they are first appointed and when they finally leave. We also pay a Governor's fare if we need to summon him back to the UK for consultations. But it is laid down in Colonial Regulations that the territory should assume responsibility for paying for his mid-tour leave

Several territories have been reluctant to make the necessary funds available.

journeys.

5. In recent years, where Governors have had difficulties in getting proper leave, we have sometimes resorted to the device of arranging discussions in London to coincide with the time a Governor's leave is due. In that way, we are able to summon him back fr consultations and then allow him to take leave at the same time. But this is not really a satisfactory arrange- ment, not only because it does not always happen that there is a need for the Governor to come to London for consultations, but also because in any case we cannot pay for the Governor's wife and family to accompany him.

6.

In a few territories, such as Hong Kong and Gibraltar, there is no problem, and we would not wish to change the present arrangements. But for the rest, we would welcome your authority for us to pay for Governors and their families to come on leave at appropriate intervals: normally this would be after 18 months, though in two or three of the more isolated and difficult places, an annual leave journey is essential. Altogether, there would not be more than about 10 Governors involved.

7.

The problem over the reimbursement of expenditure on offi- cial hospitality arises in even fewer cases: most Governors are now seconded Diplomatic Service officers, and receive normal entertainment allowances based on their actual expendi- ture. The FCO then recovers from the local government whatever provision is made in the budget for the Governor's official entertaining: where, as is often the case, the recovery is less than actual expenditure, the FCO bears the cost of the difference. However, in those few cases where Governors are members of HMCCS (there are only three at present), there is no way in which we can make up the difference, and the Governors usually end up paying out of their own pockets rather than get

What involved in unseemly arguments with their local Ministers. we should like to do in such cases is pay a topping up allowance based on the difference between the local duty allowance and Governors' actual expenditure on necessary official hospitality as shown in their annual returns of expenses.

18.

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