3. The JMU was keen to have an international element in their collection and we have therefore striven to comply with their request. A number of possible topics for study were considered but assistance to Indo-Chinese refugees in Thailand was finally chosen as the most appropriate. SEAD have consulted widely in preparing the attached case study including the ODA, Home Office, MODand overseas posts as well as departments in the FCO. They are to be congratulated in bringing a tricky task to a conclusion. The JMU required a hard-headed statement of our objectives, the costs of the various inputs and an evaluation of what we had achieved. Preparing it was illuminating but costly in staff time. It might not be cost-effective to devote such resources to such an exercise again. It would be more cost-effective to study a case of present rather than past policy formulation but inevitably those concerned would be dealing with a crisis and could not spare the time for the neat type of case study which the JMU are seeking.
4.
The major difficulty in this case, however, and which had circumscribed our choice of topics in the first place is the particular need to safeguard confidentiality in foreign relations when the risk is significant damage to our overseas interests if our arguments are tactlessly presented or misunderstood. In the present case it was judged particularly important that our genuine humanitarian motives rather than motives purely of self-interest should be seen to be given proper weight. In this way it has proved possible to avoid a security classification and to allow our case study to go forward to take its place with those of other Government Departments. Particular credit is due to Mr Court, formerly desk. officer in SEAD, in bringing this about.
Me Cice ta
R E Escritt
Finance Department (TMSU)
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