TNAG-1391-FCO40-1863-Future-of-Hong-Kong-briefing-for-meetings-and-visits-1985 — Page 4

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Foreign and Commonwealth office

Mrs. Jennings

Please give a copy each to Mr Leeks and Mr Powell for circulation and retention in ther sections. Copy also for me plizase, and original to be filed with other crradors.

1.

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15 February 1985

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BRIEFING FOR THE PRIME MINISTER

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I attach a circular letter from Sir Robert Armstrong to all Permanent Secretaries setting out new guidelines for briefing the Prime Minister for bilateral and multilateral meetings. The arrangements should come into effect straightaway.

2.

The arrangements have been agreed by No. 10, and reflect the Prime Minister's wishes. Departments should follow them as closely as they can. But, as Sir Robert Armstrong's letter says, there will never be a perfect briefing system. If departments find that the new arrangements are particularly ill-suited for a meeting for which they are briefing, they should speak to the Private Secretary, who will in turn speak to the Private Secretary at No. 10 to see if a sensible variation of the arrangements can be agreed. Experience has already shown, for example, that the new arrangements may not be entirely suitable for some overseas visits by the Prime Minister, including her forthcoming visits to Washington this month and to South East Asia in April. The arrangements will be reviewed in July, in the light of experience, to see how far they are meeting the Prime Minister's requirements.

3.

I have two other glosses to put on the format attached to Sir Robert Armstrong's letter:

i.

the promotion of goodwill and harmony will sometimes be an important objective of a meeting, not because this is an end in itself, but because (as the Falklands conflict showed) it can be vital to have a reservoir of goodwill on which to draw in difficult times. Departments should, however, make sure that briefing for such meetings stresses specific rather than general objectives, and it would be as well to be clear about these before No. 10 are asked to arrange a meeting;

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