TNAG-1297-FCO40-1652-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1984 — Page 329

Assistants in:

CONFIDENTIAL

Soviet Department Defence Department ERD

ECD (E)

EED

ACDD

TRED NENAD

HKCK 027/2

НКК

Reference

9 JAN 1984

MED MCAD

WIAD

FID

SAfD

SED

HKD MAED

PA

Ken

ine mere not imag Case del briefs foy

pm.

VISIT OF US SECRETARY OF STATE: 15 JANUARY

1.

It has been decided that separate briefing will not

be required for the Prime Minister's meeting with Mr Shultz. Instead, the Secretary of State will write to the Prime Minister about the handling of the talks enclosing a set of the briefs produced for his own use.

2.

This means that the briefs requested in paragraph 5 of my minute of 5 January will no longer be required. However, in drafting the Secretary of State's briefs, Departments will wish to bear in mind that they may also be read by the Prime Minister.

3.

NIT

The format for the Secretary of State's briefs remains as set out in my previous minute. (Because of the potential dual use, it will be important to get the heading.right.) Private Office have asked that the briefs on economic subjects (ie those for ERD) should be kept as short as possible, with a minimum of background, since the Secretary of State is likely to touch on them only briefly.

CODE 18-77

6 January 1984

cc:

Planning Staff

DR MacLennan

North America Department

CONFIDENTIAL