MANAGEMENT IN CONFIDENCE
From:
M J L Kirk
ра
PA/10
HKB 020/7
Р
Southern European Department
Date: 27 February 1989
cc: Mr Footman, HKD
Mr Keeling, FID
Mr Pierce, POD
Mr Fearn
Mr January, WIAD
ADMINISTRATION OF GOVERNORS' POSTS
1. Thank you for copying to me your minute of 22 February to Mr Footman (HKD) attaching papers by the Governor of the Cayman. Islands. I found these interesting, and they reinforced my view (from a one-Dependent Territory geographical department) that some pooling of general information about FCO functions in Dependent Territories might be useful. I think that this is particularly the case in relation to the internal decisions and relationships which a Governor has to face (and which indeed must be very different to those of the traditional Diplomatic Service Head of Mission).
2. But I was also struck by how different Gibraltar is to the sort
of territory Mr Scott describes. This difference comes out in a
number of ways:
Governor's Post. In the past, Governors of Gibraltar have
been military. The military content of the job has declined
with Britain's military role in Gibraltar and the strategic
significance of Gibraltar for the UK. But, in terms of
conditions of service, the present Governor and his successor
will both broadly enjoy the staffing and support services of a
four star officer. This is entirely outside FCO control
because the MOD and the Gibraltar Government between them pay.
It is possible that there may be a Diplomatic Service Governor
of Gibraltar thereafter, but the administration have accepted
that, given Gibraltar's relative importance, such a Governor
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