TNAG-0833-FCO40-1041-Colonial-Regulations-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1979 — Page 30

Mr Quantrill

Mr McLaren Munave.

Lapen

Reference..

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A

B

COLONIAL REGULATIONS

1.

The recent Caribbean Governors' Conference (chaired by Mr Stratton) discussed CRS and the minutes (which should be available to us shortly) recommend consideration of their future by HKGD.

2.

Mr Dale's minute sets down his own thoughts on the matter, and I think Mr Quantrill's rejection of my proposed on 21 March did not take into account the full facts.

3. In any case I would not agree that there is little to be gained this late in the game we shall have dependencies for some consider- able time to come. Why should we insist on administering with a set of obsolete and ineffective regulations? It is not irrelevant that DSP duplicates much that is in CRs. My object is to set out in DSP what is necessary for guidance to Governors. Since CRs are not mandatory (according to Roberts-Wray), does it really matter whether the information Governors what to guide them on, for example, how to wear medals or recommend honours, lies on a paper headed CR or DSP? Volume 8 of DSP was, presumably, prepared with some of these consider- ations in mind.

4. CRS may have provided a useful framework in the past, but they are now completely out of line with the powers delegated to most of our dependencies. The fact that they have no legal force means that they can be and no doubt are - ignored at will by DT Governments, to whom the very name of CR must be an irritant.

5. In replacing CRS, we shall of course need to take into account the individual needs of DTs. Most of the material in CRS will fall into one of three categories:-

6.

(a) information for guidance to be included in DSP volumes

which are available to Governors;

(b) certain staff, financial and audit regulations which

should be covered by local law;

and

(c) any regulations we wish to make on Governors, e.g. by

Royal Instruction.

(d) Special regulations covering conditions of service for

HMOCS officers, when not covered by the staff regulations for an individual territory.

I would like, therefore, to produce a new framework, in consult- ation with Mr Dale, which would then be circulated in the Office (including Legal Advisers) and eventually put to OAGS for their comments.

Guthery Cla

AE Clarke

10 May 1979

CODE 18-77

Hong Kong and General Department

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