TNAG-1108-FCO40-1359-Ministerial-and-official-visits-to-Dependent-Territories-1982 — Page 50

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Thankyou.

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Pl. draft a sentable lattan

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PQS BY MR IAIN MILLS MP (MERIDEN) FOR WRITTEN ANSWER

1.

The Minister has asked for an explanation why the visits to BIOT by Mr Speed in December 1980 and by an FCO official in February 1982 were not included in the draft reply to Mr Mills' question on recent visits by Ministers and officials to the Dependent Territories. The question was one of four PQs by Mr Mills, three of which required telephoning various departments in order to assemble the information required.

2.

We originally asked departments for the most recent visits from January 1981 onwards. However, the last department to supply the information, South American Department, thought it a pity that Mr Ridley's visit to the Falklands in December 1980 would not be included on this basis. It was, therefore, included and the 'end 1980' substituted for 'January 1981' in the draft reply. Unfortunately, no recheck was made with East African Department about any visit immediately before January 1981. Thus Mr Speed's visit to Diego Garcia in December 1980 was regrettably omitted.

3.

When the Minister's office telephoned this morning to point out the error and to say that a correction was to be issued to the reply in Hansard I informed EAD and asked them to make absolutely sure that the whole entry for BIOT in the reply was correct. I wanted to safeguard against the necessity for any possible further correction. EAD then informed me that a visit to Deigo Garcia by an FCO official from Defence Department in fact took place in February 1982. This omission from the draft reply

as far as I can ascertain, due to an oversight by the EAD trainee desk officer (who is absent this week), though it might have been compounded by a misunderstanding with the Hong Kong and General Department's desk officer who made the enquiry about visits.

4.

The omissions are regretted and all concerned apologise.

Pse Type 6 /

11 May 1982

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Hong Kong and General Department

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PS / Mr. Onolen Minister: The drags accours for the Speed's

parvicular inverest (flag B col. (a)) only. Is this

I attach a draft letter to Mr Speed.

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