TNAG-1603-FCO40-2210-Future-of-Hong-Kong-annual-reports-to-Parliament-on-Hong-Kon-1987 — Page 188

From: N J Barrington

Date: 23 February 1987

cc: PS/Mr Eggar

PRU

Information Dept

CRD

FOREIGN AFFAIRS COMMITTEE: CULTURAL DIPLOMACY

1.

I finally read over the weekend all the various papers that have reached us that were submitted to the FAC on cultural diplomacy. There are some points of interest.

2. The Arts Council paper, and the record of the evidence given by the Arts Council show a very interesting change in policy there which Sir Mervyn Brown had already indicated to me. Having declined for a long time to give proper support to Visiting Arts the Arts Council are now saying that it should be one of their prime concerns and clearly want to have a stronger say in the running of Visiting Arts. This had led them to some potential areas of conflict or at least overlap with the British Council. It is something we must discuss with the Council and it would be a suitable topic for my meeting at the end of the week to coordinate arts policy overseas in Whitehall.

3. It occurs to me that there would be a case for Visiting Arts themselves to submit a note to the FAC.

4.

The Commonwealth Institute has of course a strong role in the visiting arts field since they do much of the job for Commonwealth artistic imports. Should I invite the Director of the Commonwealth Institute to join us at lunch on 27 February?

5. I noted that the UK National Committee of the International Council of Monuments and Sights is looking for a point of contact with the Government. This might. be another topic for 27 February.

6. Looking through the mass of material it occurs to me that a notable omission is that Wilton Park is hardly if at all mentioned. Mr Hinchcliffe may wish to consider whether there is a case for them submitting a paper.

7. The whole question of which of these papers has been seen by which people is a complicated one. PRU tells us that the papers belong to the FAC but it is quite clear that some organisations have already seen other people's papers. I should like to have a further word with PRU about this. For example, Sir Mervyn Brown should be able to see a copy of the Arts Council paper and the record of their evidence.

NJ Barrington