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asked for steps to be taken to ensure that Hong Kong's special
requirements are taken into account before release of public documents in the coming years. We have sent a holding reply to Hong Kong, but the Governor has indicated that he wishes to discuss the future handling of papers on Hong Kong with the
Chief Clerk.
6.
The particular document that has caused this controversy
was one of a large batch of Cabinet Office papers dealing with
a number of different subjects on whose release the FCO was asked
to advise. The implication of local sensitivity was unfortunately
overlooked and the document was included in a list of Cabinet
papers which the FCO were content should be released, without
reference to HKD.
7.
The present system whereby papers are reviewed by former
very senior Diplomatic Service Officers for release to or
withholding from the public domain was reviewed at the request of the Prime Minister by Mr Trevor Mound less than a year ago. He
then wrote: 'I am satisfied that the procedures whereby the
Foreign and Commonwealth Office records are examined before release
to the Public Record Office are effective'. However, he considered
that closer supervision of the Sensitivity Review Unit was
advisable and recommended that the post of Records Co-Ordinator
be regraded from DS7 to DS6 and that the incumbent should be given
a special responsibility for the Sensitivity Review Unit.
Mr Mound's report was accepted, but the DS6 slot has not yet been filled; an officer will, however, be taking up the post on
11 February. It is debatable whether in fact if that officer had
been in post this hiccup in our reviewing procedures would not still have taken place.
8.
The new proposals for the handling of Hong Kong papers should meet Hong Kong's needs. If the Department is in any doubt
about the possible sensitivity of papers to be released it will
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