BY FAX
4 December 1991
PF Ricketts Esq C/O UKREP JLG Hong Kong
CONFIDENTIAL
IVERSONAL
HKB 233/1
DIEU
Foreign & Commonwealth
Office
London SWIA 2AH
Telephone: 071-
Dear Peter,
File
211
HMOCS COMPENSATION/INCENTIVE SCHEME AND PENSIONS
1. I have sent a personal telegram to the Governor, copied to Tony Galsworthy, about the programme for the Whitehall team's visit next week. The main point is to suggest that meetings with CS and FS should be more than just courtesy calls, ie an opportunity to explain Hong Kong's political and financial constraints at a high level and in a convincing way. To avoid this seeming to indicate that Hong Kong Government minds are made up and that the technical discussions are a foregone conclusion, I have suggested that these meetings might come towards the end of the programme rather than fairly early on as currently proposed.
2.
John Kerby (ODA) has just telephoned to say that he strongly supports this proposal. In fact he would go further and suggest that there should be a high-level round-up meeting at the end of the visit, perhaps preceded by a gap in the programme while HKG can be considering their response to the ideas discussed during the working sessions. He thinks it very desirable to get Hong Kong's top-level views across to Sandra Brown before she leaves Hong Kong rather than relying on subsequent telegrams. He points out that the Chief Secretary goes directly to Sandra Brown when wanting advice on ODA expenditure matters: she is an absolutely key player. It is very unusual for a Treasury official to look at this sort of problem on the ground, so her views will be given even more weight on her return from Hong Kong.
3. I wonder if you might have an opportunity to talk this over with the Governor. John Kerby strongly implied that he thought it would be most effective if the Governor could himself chair the final round-up meeting; could you float this idea?
Yours eve
Nagel
N J Cox
NC1AAS
PERSONAL
CONFIDENTIAL
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.