TNAG-2102-FCO40-2991-Leading-personalities-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 109

RESTRICTED STAFF IN CONFIDENCE

HKLO10

for Rekking Embassy

陉

FM PEKING

27 rcp 1990

ós

SK OFFICEM

TELNO 006

INDEX

PA

REGISTR

Action Taken

Major

OF 020623Z JANUARY 90

RESTRICTED

STAFF IN CONFIDENCE CEMED IN REGISTRY

TO PRIORITY FCO*

FOR CHIEF CLERK.

•

'Statt

PM22/1

This is being

Satisfechonly snoor)

-

-

157466

MDLIAN 7419

MKD.

By Paul

1911

PERHAPS

1 I SHOULD BE MOST GRATEFUL FOR ANY HELP WHICH YOU IN CONSULTATION WITH ROBIN MCLAREN COULD GIVE ME OVER A STAFFING

MATTER.

2. MY FIRST SECRETARY WHO DEALS SOLELY WITH HONG KONG MATTERS, CARSTEN PIGOTT, RETURNED TO POST FROM MID-TOUR LEAVE IN SEPTEMBER TO BEGIN HIS THIRD (ONE-YEAR) TOUR HERE. WHILE ON LEAVE IN THE UK HE ASKED POD ABOUT THE POSSIBILITY OF SERVING HERE FOR A FOURTH YEAR (HE HAD ALREADY BROACHED THE MATTER WITH MARK RUSSELL WHEN THE LATTER VISITED PEKING IN LAST APRIL). POD EXPRESSED DOUBTS BUT UNDERTOOK TO LOOK AT THE REQUEST AND LET US KNOW THE OUTCOME IN

DUE COURSE.

3. POD TELEGRAPHED ON 11 DECEMBER (FCO TELNO 1147) TO SAY THAT PIGOTT'S REQUEST TO EXTEND BY A FOURTH YEAR HAD NOT BEEN GRANTED AND THAT HE SHOULD PLAN TO LEAVE POST IN APRIL THIS YEAR. MY HEAD OF CHANCERY WITH MY FULL SUPPORT CHALLENGED THIS DECISION ON 15 DECEMBER (MY TELNO 2178). POD RESPONDED ON 22 DECEMBER (FCO TELNO 1186) THAT PIGOTT WOULD BE NEEDED BACK IN LONDON IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1990,

''PROBABLY EARLIER RATHER THAN LATER''

·

4. QUITE APART FROM THE HIGHLY UNDESIRABLE IMPACT A DEPARTURE IN APRIL WOULD HAVE ON PIGOTT'S CHILDREN'S EDUCATION (THEY WOULD HAVE NO SCHOOLING FROM APRIL UNTIL THE AUTUMN TERM STARTED IN SEPTEMBER), THERE ARE VERY STRONG OPERATIONAL REASONS WHY I SHOULD LIKE PIGOTT'S REQUEST TO BE GIVEN RATHER MORE SERIOUS CONSIDERATION :

(A) THE NEXT MEETING OF THE SINO-BRITISH JOINT LIAISON GROUP TAKES PLACE IN PEKING FROM 24-27 APRIL. I SHALL NEED PIGOTT HERE FOR THAT AND FOR THE RUN-UP TO IT AND IMMEDIATE AFTERMATH. (THE OTHER DESK OFFICER WHO ASSISTS ON HONG KONG MATTERS PLANS TO TAKE LEAVE THROUGHOUT FEBRUARY AND MARCH) :

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