TNAG-0826-FCO40-1034-Length-of-term-of-office-of-Governors-1979 — Page 12

PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL

LETTER

JRW Parker Esq CNG OBE Governor and Commander-in-Chief FALKLAND ISLANDS

HAH CORTAZZI

1. Thank you for your letter of 15 May giving me your

thoughts on the possibility of your term as Governor

being extended for a further year.

2. As you know, the normal retirement age for members of

the Diplomatic Service is 60 and there have to be quite

exceptional reasons for departing from this rule even for

quite short extensions. It is also normal practice to

limit Governors' appointments in small island communities

to 3 years. There have been exceptions made to this rule -

but our experience of such extensions has not always been

entirely happy.

3.

Notwithstanding this background we have nonetheless

given very careful consideration to your public-spirited offer to extend for a further year. We are, I think, very

sensible of the valuable relationship you have

built up

with the islanders and would not want lightly to forego it.

We are also conscious that like many others and, perhaps

more than some, the islanders do not like change. We have

also taken account of the political value of continuity.

Weighing the various factors has not been easy but we, and

those concerned on the personnel front, finally concluded

that we should stick with the normal drill and therefore

that your appointment should end on the timing originally

/scheduled

PERSONAL AND CON FIDUNTI AT,