TNAG-2602-FCO40-3790-Administrative-support-for-Chris-Patten--new-Governor-of-Hon-1992 — Page 12

291226Z

ADVANCED PS/MR PATTEN FOR DISTRIBUTION ADVICE 29126Z GMH LNMPAN 7642 HMLNAN 8824

CONFI ENTIAL

00 FOLN

FM HOKON TO FCOLN

291105Z MAY

GRS 430

CONFIDENTIAL

STAFF IN CONFIDENCE

FM HONG KONG

TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELNO 1468

OF 291105Z MAY 92

.357

Arri on 5/7.

PERSONAL FOR PS/MR. PATTEN FROM PS/GH

YOUR TELNO 871: GOVERNOR (DESIGNATE):

SUPPORT STAFF

1. THANK YOU FOR CONFIRMING THAT DINHAM WILL BE ON SECONDMENT FROM THE ODA. WE WILL THEREFORE OFFER HIM APPOINTMENT AS AN ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICE STAFF GRADE B ON SECONDMENT.

2.

WE CONTINUE TO BE ATTRACTED BY THE IDEA OF APPOINTING LLEWELLYN ALSO TO THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE. OUR CURRENT THINKING IS APPOINT HIM AS A SENIOR ADMINISTRATIVE OFFICER. BUT IN OUR OFFER LETTER WE WOULD SAY THAT WE INTEND TO TREAT HIM AS THOUGH HE WERE ON SECONDMENT FROM THE HOME CIVIL SERVICE. THIS WOULD MEAN THAT HE COULD NOT EXPECT A CAREER IN THE ADMINISTRATIVE SERVICE, BUT WHILE HE IS HERE HE WOULD BE TREATED IN OTHER RESPECTS AS A MEMBER OF THE SERVICE. IN EFFECT, HE WOULD BE TREATED IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY AS DINHAM, ALBEIT AT A MORE JUNIOR LEVEL. THIS APPROACH WILL BE MUCH THE SIMPLEST FOR US BUREAUCRATICALLY, AND WOULD MEAN THAT WE DID NOT NEED TO MAKE A SUBMISSION TO FINANCE COMMITTEE, AT LEAST AT THIS STAGE. GRATEFUL TO KNOW IF YOU SEE ANY OBJECTION.

3

WE WOULD PREFER AN INITIAL APPOINTMENT OF THREE RATHER THAN TWO AND A HALF YEARS FOR BOTH DINHAM AND LLEWELLYN. THIS WOULD BE ADMINISTRATIVELY SIMPLER, AS LEAVE AND HOME PASSAGES ARE USUALLY TIED TO ANNUAL SEGMENTS OF SERVICE. IN DUE COURSE, IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO FOLLOW THIS THREE YEAR CONTRACT WITH ANOTHER TWO YEARS ONE IF MR. PATTEN SO WISHES. WOULD THIS CAUSE ANY PROBLEMS?

4. GRATEFUL FOR CONFIRMATION THAT YOU WILL MAKE THE ANNOUNCEMENT ON 2 JUNE. WE PROPOSE TO BRIEF THE CHAIRMAN OF THE PUBLIC SERVICE COMMITTEE ORALLY IN THE MORNING OF 1 JUNE.

5.

WE CANNOT THINK OF ANY BETTER DESCRIPTION FOR THE TIME BEING THAN QUOTE PERSONAL ADVISERS UNQUOTE. IT WOULD CERTAINLY BE HELPFUL IF BACKGROUND BRIEFING COULD CLARIFY THAT DINHAM WILL NOT BE ANY SORT OF SUPER PRIVATE SECRETARY, AND THAT BOTH HE AND LLEWELLYN WILL SIMPLY BE MEMBERS OF THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE TEAM. WE WILL TAKE A SIMILAR LINE HERE IN RESPONSE TO QUERIES.

6.

WE THINK IT HIGHLY LIKELY THAT THE HONG KONG PRESS WILL TRY TO TRACK DOWN BOTH DINHAM AND LLEWELLYN. WE SUGGEST THAT THEY SHOULD BE PERFECTLY OPEN ABOUT THEIR PREVIOUS WORKING RELATIONSHIP WITH MR. PATTEN, SAY THAT THEY HAVE NO PREVIOUS PERSONAL EXPERIENCE OF HONG KONG (IF TRUE EXCLAM), BUT ARE LOOKING FORWARD TO COMING HERE, AND THAT ALTHOUGH THEIR PRECISE DUTIES HAVE NOT YET BEEN DEFINED, THEY UNDERSTAND THAT THEY WILL BE JUST PART OF THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE TEAM.

D