Commonwealth Office and Foreign and Commonwealth Office: Hong Kong Departments: Registered...

FCO 40

1965-1994

This series contains records of the Hong Kong and West Indian Department 'C' of the Commonwealth Office created between January 1967 and late 1967 dealing with UK and Commonwealth relations with Hong Kong and British Honduras, and thereafter records of the Hong Kong Department of the Commonwealth Office and, from October 1968, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, dealing with Hong Kong only.

Some records produced by West Indian Department 'B' after it assumed responsibility for British Honduras are also in this series. From May 1972 the records are those of the Hong Kong and Indian Ocean Department, dealing with Hong Kong, the Seychelles and the British Indian Ocean Territory.

By former file reference within each accession

For earlier Commonwealth Office files on British Honduras see CO 1031

For earlier Commonwealth Office files on Hong Kong see CO 1030

For earlier files on the Seychelles and BIOT see FCO 83

HW and HK file series

Public Record(s)

English

• Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Far Eastern Department, 1968-1994
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Hong Kong and General Department, 1978-1983
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Hong Kong and Indian Ocean Department, 1972-1976
• Foreign and Commonwealth Office, Hong Kong Department, 1968-1972
• Foreign Office, Far Eastern Department, 1906-1968

4598 paper files and digital records

Open unless otherwise stated

From 1999 Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Open Document, Open Description

Topics

International

Asia

Americas

Africa

File series runs from 1967

Series is accruing

The department was established when the Commonwealth Office was created in August 1966 as part of the Dependent Territories Division (the former Colonial Office departments), and was responsible for UK and Commonwealth relations with Hong Kong and British Honduras. Responsibility for relations with British Honduras passed to West Indian Department 'B' in late 1967, from which time the department became the Hong Kong Department.

From October 1968 the Hong Kong Department continued in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, but using a new HK file series. In May 1972 the department was renamed the Hong Kong and Indian Ocean Department, with responsibility for relations with the Seychelles and the British Indian Ocean Territories being added, but still used the HK file series.