TNAG-0833-FCO40-1041-Colonial-Regulations-in-the-Dependent-Territories-1979 — Page 40

G.F. 326

CONFIDENTIAL # *

Notes of a Meeting with Mr. Robin McLaren, Head of the Hong Kong & General Department of the FCO at 1200 hours on 26th April, 1979

Also present were Acting D/Ops, Mr. Whiteley and SCP, Mr. Harrison.

2.

In answer to my questions, Mr. McLaren said that there was little public interest fostered by the press on corruption in the U.K. Recent reports of statements by the Commissioner of the Metropolitan Police indicated local problems but there was no feeling that corruption was a serious problem in the U.K. civil service.

3.

w/14)

He added that in his 5 days of discussions during this visit to Hong Kong, during which he had met many people, only the Governor had brought up the subject of corruption.

4.

I explained that I was asking these questions to find out the likely reception of proposals for the revision of Colonial Regulations which the ICAC considered necessary to enable Heads of Departments to rid themselves of officers they could no longer trust. Discussion followed on the difficulties experienced so far

(a) in taking cases to Court involving large numbers,

e.g. the Yaumati case;

5.

(b)

in dealing with officers acquitted at Court on technical grounds only;

(c)

in dealing with officers against whom there was evidence which could not be produced in Court.

Mr. McLaren said that the use of CR 55 would always present difficulties in the current climate of U.K. thinking. He accepted that there were problems presented by the current Colonial Regulations which had been drafted in different circumstances to those existing in Hong Kong today.

He was also somewhat surprised to hear that the ICAC Commissioner's arbitrary powers to terminate the services of any of its officers, already applied to 25 officers had never been challenged. He pointed out that special disciplinary pro- visions for Hong Kong already formed part of the Colonial Regulations and suggested that if a full case could be put up for further modifications, it would receive sympathetic con- sideration in the FCO.

6.

In answer to questions about U.K. practices in respect of the use of any powers similar to CR 55 and the promotion of officers of doubtful integrity, Mr. McLaren said that he was unfamiliar with general civil service practice. He would be happy to obtain the anwers to any queries put to him,

CONFIDENTIAL ##

17.