ADVANCED TO SIR J COLES FOR DIST ADVICE, NON SUGGESTED
LNMDAN 9590 HMLNAN 7778
CONFIDENTIAL
DD 11123OZ FCOLN
FM H ON TO FCOLN
11110 Z MAY
GRS 727
CONFIDENTIAL
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 11123OZ FCO TELNO 1268
OF 11110OZ MAY 92
RIEFTEL
HKD 0.0/1
PERSONAL EQR SIR JOHN COLES, DUSS.
FROM GOVERNOR.
YOUR TELNO 761: GOVERNOR-DESIGNATE: SUPPORT STAFF.
1.
I HAVE CONSULTED THE CHIEF SECRETARY AND WIGGHAM ON TUR. BASED ON THIS, MY COMMENTS ON THE QUESTIONS IN PARA 4 OF TUR ARE AS FOLLOWS:
(A) AGREED THAT THE TWO POSTS SHOULD BE HKG POSTS PAID FOR HERE. THEY CAN BE TREATED AS PART OF THE GOVERNOR'S PRIVATE OFFICE. THERE MAY BE SOME CRITICAL COMMENTS ABOUT BRINGING IN OUTSIDERS: BUT I THINK IT WILL BE GENERAL ACCEPTED THAT MR. PATTEN WISHES TO BRING A VERY SMALL NUMBER OF PERSONAL STAFF WITH HIM. ON HOW BEST TO MANAGE THIS, SEE (C) BELOW.
(B) I DOUBT WHETHER IT WOULD BE SENSIBLE TO MAKE THE PROPOSED PRESS ADVISER POST SENIOR CAMBASSADORIAL) GRADE IN FCO TERMS. FOR SOMEONE OF DINHAM'S AGE, THIS WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO JUSTIFY LOCALLY. IT WOULD EQUATE TO OUR MOST SENIOR CIVIL SERVICE RANK OF SECRETARY I.E. THOSE WHO HEAD MAJOR POLICY BRANCHES AND WHOSE POSITION WOULD BE THAT OF A MINISTER IF THIS WAS AN INDEPENDENT COUNTRY RATHER THAN A COLONY. TO PITCH A PRESS ADVISER POST AT THIS LEVEL WOULD ATTRACT THE SORT OF ATTENTION AND CRITICISM THAT WOULD BE BEST AVOIDED. IF AN ATTRACTIVE FINANCIAL PACKAGE IS THE OBJECTIVE, THAT SHOULD STILL BE PERFECTLY POSSIBLE. NORMALLY (SEE E/G. TELNO 3778 OF 4 DECEMBER 1991), GRADE 5 IN THE HOME CIVIL SERVICE EQUATES ROUGHLY TO HKG'S STAFF GRADE C (DOLLARS 65,100- DOLLARS 69,050 PER MONTH). HOWEVER, GIVEN MR. PATTEN'S ASSESSMENT OF DINHAM'S VALUE AND THE APPARENT NEED FOR AN INCENTIVE. HE COULD BE MADE STAFF GRADE B (DOLLARS 75,000 PER MONTH ON FIRST APPOINTMENT, RISING TO DOLLARS 80,150 OVER TIME). DINHAM WOULD ALSO QUALIFY FOR A MONTHLY ACCOMMODATION ALLOWANCE OF DOLLARS 29,590 TO RENT PRIVATE SECTOR HOUSING PLUS LOCAL EDUCATION ALLOWANCES FOR HIS ELDER CHILD. A REASONABLE ENTERTAINMENT ALLOWANCE COULD BE ARRANGED AS PART OF THE GOVERNMENT HOUSE BUDGET. FOR COMPARISON, STAFF GRADE B IS THE SAME RANK AS A DEPUTY SECRETARY IN THE GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT OR A DEPUTY HEAD OF DEPARTMENT. A HIGH-FLIER OF DINHAM'S AGE COULD JUST HAVE BEEN PROMOTED TO THIS LEVEL.
(C) AGREED THAT IS IS IMPORTANT TO AVOID IF POSSIBLE A DAMAGING DEBATE IN FINANCE COMMITTEE. IF DINHAM IS RANKED AS STAFF GRADE B (SGB) IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE, INITIALLY AT LEAST, FOR HIS POSITION TO BE HELD AGAINST' AN EXISTING VACANCY IN THE CENTRAL POLICY UNIT (CPU). IN THIS WAY THERE WOULD THUS BE NO NEED IMMEDIATELY TO GO TO FC FOR A NEW POST. IT WOULD MEAN THAT THE CPU WOULD BE UNDER-STRENGTH FOR TWO OR THREE MONTHS. ONCE MR. PATTEN HAS SETTLED IN, HE CAN DECIDE HOW HE WOULD LIKE TO ARRANGE BOTH HIS OWN PERSONAL OFFICE AND THE CPU. IF HE WANTED TO
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