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SHOULD BE A VISIT BY OED AND I SUGGESTED THAT THIS SHOULD EITHER BE BERTRAM OR A SENIOR DEPUTY. I ALSO SPOKE TO MR.MORRIS WHO NORMALLY HANDLES THE DOSSIER IN THE DEPARTMENT. MEANWHILE I BEGAN MORE DETAILED CONSULTATIONS WITH JLG AND THE BRITISH COUNCIL.
5.
MR.WHITTLE ARRIVED AT SHORT NOTICE, UNBRIEFED ON THE POINTS I HAD DISCUSSED WITH YOU, AND TOO SOON TO PERMIT THE JLG AND THE COUNCIL TO MAKE A FULL CONTRIBUTION, STILL LESS TO ENABLE US TO INVOLVE OTHERS WITH AN INTEREST. I DO NOT KNOW WHAT REPORT HE MADE OF OUR MEETING BUT I DID NOTICE THAT HE TOOK NO NOTES. I GAVE HIM A NUMBER OF PRECISE QUESTIONS AND AM FAXING TO YOU OUR NOTE OF THE MEETING.
6
LET ME ILLUSTRATE MY PROBLEM WITH ONE EXAMPLE. PARAGRAPH 3 OF YOUR TELNO 119 BEGINS WITH AN ADMIRABLE STATEMENT THAT THE COST WILL BE A FUNCTION OF THE BUILDING'S SIZE, DETERMINED BY THE STAFFING AND OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS AND ARE IMPLICIT IN THE AGREED BRIEF'. I HAD BEEN TOLD THAT THE STAFF COMPLEMENT OF THE NEW CONSULATE-GENERAL WAS AS SET OUT IN THE INSPECTION REPORT OF 1990. THIS INCLUDED A DRAFT IDEAL ESTABLISHMENT' AND STATED THAT A 'FINAL' STAFFING ESTIMATE WOULD BE COMPLETED BY MID 1991. MR.WHITTLE PRODUCED AT OUR MEETING WHAT HE CLAIMED WAS THE FINAL ESTIMATE ON WHICH THE DESIGNS HAD BEEN BASED. NEITHER WE NOR JLG KNOW WHETHER THIS ESTABLISHMENT ASSUMES, AS THE INSPECTION REPORT RECOMMENDS, THAT THE JLG FUNCTIONS WILL BE ABSORBED INTO THE CONSULATE-GENERAL OR WHETHER IT WILL CONTINUE TO OPERATE AS A SEPARATE BUILDING AND BE ABSORED LATER. THE DIFFERENCE IS SUBSTANTIAL BETWEEN ONE OR TWO SENIOR GRADE OFFICERS, AND BETWEEN ONE AND THREE COUNSELLORS. WHAT IS THE IDEAL ESTABLISHMENT ON WHICH THE PLANS ARE BASED QUERY. NONE OF US
KNOW.
7.
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SO FAR AS FARRELL IS CONCERNED, I WAS ASKED DURING MY BRIEFING TOUR TO STUDY THE SIX DESIGNS AND GIVE AN OPINION. WHEN I DID THIS, I WAS TOLD THE DECISION HAD ALREADY BEEN TAKEN. I ASKED WHITTLE HOW, THEREFORE, WE WOULD MESH THE OPERATION FOR WHICH I HAD BEEN GIVEN RESPONSIBILITY NAMELY THE ELABORATION OF PROPOSALS FOR BUILDING A CADRE OF PEOPLE WHO WILL STAFF THE NEW OPERATION, WITH THE REVISION OF THE FARRELL PLANS THAT IS SO EVIDENTLY NECESSARY. I WAS TOLD THAT I SHOULD PUT MY PROPOSALS TO THE RELEVANT DEPARTMENTS IN LONDON WHO WILL THEN COMMENT TO OED, WHO WILL THEN DEAL WITH FARRELL IN LONDON. YOU HAVE CHOSEN A COMPANY THAT HAS NOT PUT UP A BUILDING IN HONG KONG AND WILL DO ITS WORK IN THE UK. THAT PROCESS, HOWEVER CONVENIENT TO OED, WILL
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