TNAG-1303-FCO40-1659-Visits-by-FCO-officials-to-Hong-Kong-1984 — Page 38

Dr Wilson

ADMINISTRATION IN CONFIDENCE

Aat

HKK 027/14

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

19 MAR 1984

DESK OFFICER,

INDEX

Те

TRAVEL IN THE FINANCIAL YEAR 1984-85

REGISTRY

Action Ferg

HONG KONG DEPARTMENT:

1.

In my minute of 7 October 1983 to Mr Donald I set out preliminary proposals for travel by members of this Department during 1984-85. I suggested that there might be two visits to

Hong Kong by the Head of Department and two familiarisation visits

by other members of the Department. I estimated that the total cost

would be £7,517.76.

20

See 21

2.

I have

now given the matter further thought. I have not attempted to estimate travel requirements directly connected with work on the future of Hong Kong, which are largely unpredictable and may fall on other budgets. Quite apart from these, I hope it can be recognised that this Department is in a rather special position because of the constitutional fact of the residual responsibilities. for Hong Kong which HMG continues to exercise. This makes it

particularly necesssary that members of the Department should have a first hand knowledge of the territory and of those who administrave it. In practical terms I suggest that this requires:

(i)

(ii)

3.

two visits a year by the Head of Department or in his place by the Assistant. This requirement used to be recognised in principle by PSD before the present system of Under Secretary accounting was introduced;

familiarisation visits by all desk officers in the Hong Kong Section of the Department. It is also highly desirable that desk officers in the Future of Hong Kong Section should have the same opportunity.

Among current members of Hong Kong Section Mr Hoare is an officer of the Hong Kong Government Service and Ms Walker has paid a familiarisation visit. It is time for Mr Williams

to go.

In Future

Section, as now constituted, по one has set foot in

foot in Hong Kong.

ADMINISTRATION IN CONFIDENCE

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