SECRET AND PERSONAL
NEW GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG: SUPPORT STAFF
1.
People in Iron Many wil hope that he will vigsdesig advocate Hong Kong was to London and Peting. Ministe may want him to impore Candan's vitus moni
The degree of support a new Governor will need depends
sing
in part on the role Ministers envisage him playing. This Cube paper assumes that he would not be purely a figurehead, and will not equally that he would not bring with him significant numbers aprūdē
of administrators from the UK to supplant the Hong Kong
civil service. Between these two extremes, there are a
number of options for providing UK-based support.
Present Position
2. The Governor works from Government House (GH). There
are no UK-based staff in GH: he has a small personal staff
(Counsellor-equivalent Principal Private Secretary and two
Assistant Private Secretaries), all from the Hong Kong Civil
Service. The Governor deals personally and frequently with
the Chief Secretary, Financial Secretary, Policy Secretaries
and other officials of the Hong Kong Government (HKG). He
chairs EXCO and the Governor's Security Committee. He follows in detail the negotiations with China in the Joint Liaison Group. The Chief Secretary is Head of the Civil
Service. But the Governor himself is heavily involved in
the detailed, day-to-day administration of Hong Kong, as well as carrying out extensive representational and
ceremonial duties.
in previs
matthical thing taju Hij tou in ou
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3. The Governor has also traditionally been the main channel of communication with Ministers and the FCO.
Telegrams between HMG and Hong Kong go to and from the
Governor. This reflects the Secretary of State's constitutional position under the Letters Patent, and also the principle that the Governor is the source of official advice from Hong Kong to Ministers on policy questions.
4.
Over the years, many parts of the Hong Kong administration have developed their own direct contacts with
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SECRET AND PERSONAL
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