481
pa
АКК
040/57.
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
Cur
JAK
3 1DEC 1984
Private Secretary
31/411
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
From: B P Austin, COD
Date: 28 December 1984
SAD 31/45.
Copies: Chief Clerk
Mr Galsworthy, HKD
A
479
DELAY IN TELEGRAMS FOR THE PRIME MINISTER'S PARTY
I have investigated the delays to telegrams referred to in
Robin Butler's letter of 24 December.
2.
The first telegram was FCO to Peking number 1625 of 19
December. This was authorised at 2051Z, despatched to Hanslope
Park at 2126Z, and sent by Hanslope to Peking at 2145Z. It
therefore arrived in Peking over an hour ahead of the Deskby time
of 2300Z.
3.
The second telegram was FCO to Hong Kong number 2535 of 20
December. This was authorised at 1956Z and was transmitted to
Hong Kong at 2045Z, also arriving there well ahead of the Deskby
time of 2300Z.
4. We have not yet been able to establish why delays occurred
at both Peking and Hong Kong in passing these telegrams to the
Prime Minister's party. We have drawn the attention of the Posts
to the delays and asked them to report what went wrong.
5.
The third telegram was Peking to the FCO, number 3027 of 19
December. I am sorry that there was a clear delay in handling
this in London. It was received in the FCO COMCEN from Hanslope
at 0606Z and appears to have been sent out of the COMCEN for
distribution at 0613Z on 19 December, well in time for a copy to
have reached the Palace by the Deskby time of 0900Z. The two
officers in the distribution room who may have been concerned are
at present on leave; as soon as they return we shall try to
establish what happened.
-
1 -
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.