TNAG-2602-FCO40-3790-Administrative-support-for-Chris-Patten--new-Governor-of-Hon-1992 — Page 81

SECRET AND PERSONAL

(ii) An enhanced Private Office.

The Governor would bring

into the Private office a UK-based official to handle

relations with London, and possibly other issues.

This could be a DS 5 Private Secretary, who would

mainly be concerned to manage the paper flow with

London, or a DS 4 Counsellor who could to some extent

act also as a policy adviser to the Governor particularly on relations with China if he was a sinologist. One way of achieving this would be to

accelerate the changes already foreseen in the

Political Adviser's role. The Political Adviser (at

present a DS4) could be brought into GH as soon as the

new Governor arrived, primarily in his existing capacity as the Governor's Adviser on relations with

China. He could then discreetly support the Governor

as well in relations with Whitehall, though he could

not easily interpose himself into the adminstrations

of Hong Kong or relations with LegCo. It would then probably be necessary to bring in another UK-based officer to carry on the Political Adviser's existing

functions in the Government Secretariat. Care would

be needed to ensure that an early move of the

Political Adviser did not disrupt arrangements for

disentangling the intelligence-related aspects of his present job from other functions before 1997 (para 7

above).

pro there would be a UK official in the Governor's

Private Office to assist him in communications with

Whitehall, and possibly provide a degree of independent advice. Ministers could communicate with

MAIAAT/6

SECRET AND PERSONAL

/the Governor