TNAG-1749-FCO40-2468-Visit-by-Sir-Geoffrey-Howe--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-a-1988 — Page 2

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As far as I can judge after only a few weeks in this job, the Secretary of State is very well pleased with the briefing which he receives for his overseas visits. The one area where he would clearly like more information is in personality notes. They generally have a lot of information about the Ministers whom the Secretary of State will be meeting but very little about their wives. The Secretary of State often finds himself sitting next to the wife at lunch or dinner, so the more information that can be provided the better. In particular, it would be helpful if the brief could, as a matter of course, mention the last time the Secretary of State and/or Lady Howe met Minister X and his/her spouse. It would also be helpful to have a reminder of any other recent contacts. For example, in Sudan the wife of the Prime Minister thanked Lady Howe for a recent message about her health. It would be useful if briefs could contain a reminder when such messages have been sent.

| HOORAY

4 October 1988

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(J S Wall)