TNAG-1229-FCO40-1542-Possible-visit-by-the-Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-Com-1983 — Page 22

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Mr McQuade, HKD

12 AUG 1983

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Reference

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PROPOSED VISIT BY MR LUCE TO THE FAR EAST

1. I would just like to discuss the financial position concerning ministerial visits to the Far East.

2.

As you know, this visit by Mr Luce is unbudgeted for, (presumably because the visit arises largely out of a change of ministers following the recent election.) The estimated cost of this tour is about £10,500. A visit by the Secretary of State to the Far East is, of course, budgeted for in the current financial year, but our overall budget for ministerial visits is under considerable pressure, since we have had to surrender some £240,000 to the recent Treasury demand for savings in the FCO.

3.

The upshot of this is that if many more visits to the Far East by ministers other than the Secretary of State are proposed, they will eat into the money we have ear-marked for a visit by the Secretary of State, and thus if there is any room for manoeuvre in the dates for a visit by the Secretary of State, we could reach a point where our strong preference here would be for it to take place in the next financial year ie. sometime after April 1st 1984. We understand that spring 1984 is in any event the period currently under consideration for such a visit.

الصل

5 August 1983

M M Hall

cc: Mr Thomson, FED

Mr Warren-Gash PS/Mr Luce

Mr Donald

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Conference Section Protocol Department SG/96

273 3632