TNAG-1874-FCO40-2665-Relations-between-Hong-Kong-and-other-British-Dependent-Terr-1989 — Page 79

MANAGEMENT IN CONFIDENCE

no resident

is

However for those less developed

certain services in support of

are no problems for those territories where there

Governor ie, Pitcairn, BIOT, BAT. territories HMG has had to provide

the Governors and their

offices.

FCO Support

posts

In many cases this

7. The attached chart shows the support that Governors

receive from FCO departments and from the ODA.

support is considerable, but it is generally on an ad hoc basis.

That is part of the problem. Departments either feel that they have

dependent territories or they tend to

1

no direct responsibility for

regard Governors posts as a lesser priority than other DS posts.

The responsibility of FCO administration Departments for Governors' posts in Dependent Territories needs to be clearly defined.

8.

This absence of defined responsibility goes beyond the

"administration" departments.

For example although MAED acknowledge

lead responsibility for territorial sea questions, up until recently

Consular Department did not accept responsiblity for distressed

British subjects in the DTS. There are other anomalies. Although

several DTs are in receipt of British aid, Governors are not part of

the Heads of Mission Gift scheme; although HMG is directly

responsible for the defence of the DTs, UKMTAS cannot be used to

support this policy; although we are keen to cement relations with

the locally elected politicians, they cannot be invited to UK on the

COI sponsored visit programme. The se are anomalies that need to be

addressed. But this paper

of Governors posts.

concentrates

on the "FCO administration"

Exclusions from Proposals

9. It is proposed to omit Hong Kong and Gibraltar. Although there

are peculiarities with every dependent territory, the administration

of Hong Kong presents no problems which need to be addressed within

the objectives of this exercise. In the case of Gibraltar the

governor has been MOD sponsored.

Consideration is now being given

to civilianising the post, but no final decision has yet been taken.

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