TNAG-1847-FCO40-2622-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 52

CONFIDENTIAL PERSONAL

011700

MDHIAN 2212

(CF THE LAST PART OF S OF S'S ORAL EVIDENCE).

8. A FEW PERSONAL HOBBY-HORSES EMERGED. ROWLANDS REVEALED SUSPICIONS OF F C O DERIVING FROM HIS TIME AS MINISTER. SHORE WAS ALSO SUSPICIOUS AT FIRST, BUT RELAXED LATER. BOWEN WELLS, AN ALL-ROUND MAVERICK, SAID HE SAW HIS AIM AS TO ''PUT BACKBONE IN THE F C O' BUT THE GROUP'S LEADERS WERE WELL AWARE OF THESE QUIRKS AND DID NOT LET THEM UPSET THE SESSIONS WITH THE CHINESE, WHICH HOWELL MANAGED EXTREMELY WELL. NO (NO) HINTS WERE GIVEN OF

SPECIFIC POINTS ABOUT F C O WHICH THESE OR OTHER F A C MEMBERS MIGHT TAKE UP WITH THE P U S.

DONALD

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DISTRIBUTION

25

MAIN

25

LIMITED

HKD

FED

PRU

FINANCE DEPARTMENT

PS/PUS

MR GILLMORE MR MCLAREN

MR BLATHERWICK

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CONFIDENTIAL PERSONAL