TNAG-0996-FCO40-1219-Inspection-of-Hong-Kong-and-General-Department--February-198-1981 — Page 34

ADMINISTRATION IN CONFIDENCE

32.

I was asked to look with particular care at the grading of the second post. The portfolio includes political and constitutional issues, connected with the future of Hong Kong, as well as social affairs and civil nuclear developments, visits and external relations. The Desk Officer is required to monitor statements made by the Chinese leaders about the future of Ilong Kong, to analyse them and do the first draft of policy papers. He will have to deal with quite a few POS as well as a lot of routine work on internal affairs. 1981/82 is likely to be an important period as 15-year mortgages expiring in 1997, when the lease of the New Territory runs out, come up for renewal. The future of Hong Kong is of course a major foreign policy issue. It can be argued that most of the policy work should fall to the DS5 and Assistant, but the former certainly has enough on his plate and I think it is right that the day-to-day monitoring should be done at desk level. I am doubtful whether most DS7Es would have the ability to write major policy papers and I recommend that the post be regraded DS7A/SRO. I recognise that this may cause problerns for POD. It would be important that if an SRO were nominated he should have the right aptitudes and appetites - similar to those of a DS7A.

33. The junior desk in the Section has traditionally been held by a new entrant DSS. He looks after Hong Kong trade and industry, defence policy, civil service and staffing, among other things. It is quite a good training post in that it provides experience of drafting submissions and POs and contact with other Whitehall Departments, but I have two reservations. First, if a new entrant is to have only one year in a geographical department, experience of the internal administration of Hong Kong is unrepresentative and will not equip hizn to serve in a chancery. Secondly if, as I think is right, the second post is upgraded to DS7A there would be three A-stream officers in the Section, an excess of talent compared with similar departments. I recommend that the DS8 post should be regraded DS9 and that responsibility for defence and economic affairs, both politically sensitive, should pass to the DS7A/SRO who could off- load some of his work on to the DS9. A DS9 could expect to remain in the job for two years and provide better continuity.

34. Overall there is enough work in the Section to justify three staff, though some of it is rather mundane. In such a small department four levels of hierarchy are undesirable, but with inexperienced officers at desk level I do not see that it can be avoided altogether. If the DS7A were experienced and sharp he could report direct to the Assistant on some subjects just as the Head of Section by-passes the Assistant if the latter is busy. There is scope for the Head of Section to delegate more to the other desk officers.

General Section

DS7E

Miss B Brett Rooks

D$9

Miss E K Maxwell

DS5

Mr CJ Hall (two days a week on a fee-paid basis)

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ADMINISTRATION IN CONFIDENCE