TNAG-2632-FCO40-3823-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-British-Nationality-(Hong-K-1992 — Page 25

70

Reference..............

CONFIDENTIAL

prior to

Submission)

Mr Morris

MPS LETTER:

1.

BRITISH COUNCIL HONG KONG BNSS APPLICATIONS

Please see Mr Renton's letter to Mr Goodlad. Mr Renton does not ask any specific questions, but it would be courteous for Mr Goodlad to respond to Mr Renton's account of his call on the British Council in Hong Kong.

2.

I needed to consult Hong Kong on the position of British Council employees rejected in the first phase of the BNSS, and informed the Private Office that we would need some extra time. They were content. Mr Kwok has now responded to FCO telno 1539 in some detail. He explains allowances for special consideration of British Council applicants - this special consideration has allowed various other applicants to be accepted under the scheme. He spells out the reasons for rejection of the 8 British Council applicants under the various parts of the scheme open to them - 7 of them occupy very junior posts which preclude them from taking advantage of the special consideration available for British Council applicants and the eighth has not clocked up enough years of service.

3.

It is useful to have this account - but inappropriate for Mr Goodlad to go into detail. I attach a draft could we have a word? (I am wondering whether we can say anything about the value attached to the work of the British Council in Hong Kong).

Would the papers be of interest to BTC? Or will they already be aware of all this?

4.

Mbanes tones

HCD 340/2

Deborah Barnes Jones

Hong Kong Department

WH 312

270 2068

5 November, 1992

HKD 340/2

CODE 18-77

CONFIDENTIAL