CYPHER/CAT A.
CONFIDENTIAL
PRIORITY FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH OFFICE
TELEGRAM MUMBER 603
TO GOV. HONG KONG.
11 SEPTEMBER 1974. (HKD)
CONFIDENTIAL.
YOUR TELEGRAM NUMBER 594: KAI TAK RUNWAY EXTENSION.
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM SIR L. MONSON,
4
WHILE THE FIRST SENTENCE OF PARAGRAPH 2 OF YOUR TELEGRAM UNDER REFERENCE SETS OUT THE FORMAL POSITION IT IGNORES THE MANY
DISCUSSIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN HELD ABOUT THIS MATTER BOTH WITH OFFICIALS AND WITH MINISTERS IN THE PAST. YOU WILL REALISE THAT THE PREVIOUS SECRETARY OF STATE'S UNDERTAKING GIVEN AT HIS MEETING WITH UMELCO
MEMBERS IN HONG KONG ON 19 APRIL THAT H.M.G. WOULD LOOK AT THE MATTER
AGAT! NEXT YEAR (1971) CANNOT BIND HIS SUCCESSOR. IF THE NEW
GOVERNMENT WERE PREPARED TO LOOK SYMPATHETICALLY AT THE MATTER, IT
WOULD HAVE TO BE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE OVERALL FINANCIAL POSITION
OF THE COUNTRY WHICH THEY HAVE FOUND ON ASSUMING OFFICE. THEY WILL
NOT, HOWEVER, WISH TO CONSIDER KAI TAK 14 ISOLATION. IT WOULD
THEREFORE BE QUITE WRONG OF ME TO GIVE YOU ANY UNDERTAKING
EARLY DECISION OTHER THAN A NEGATIVE ONE IS
2.
POSSIBLE.
THAT AN
YOU ARE, OF COURSE, AWARE THAT IN THE PAST IT HAS ONLY BEEN
IN THIS OFFICE THAT THERE HAS BEEN ANY SUPPORT FOR YOUR CASE. I SHALL
CONTINUE TO TRY TO CONVINCE OTHER DEPARTMENTS IN WHITEHALL THAT
A GESTURE TOWARDS HONG KONG IN THIS MATTER WOULD BE OF GREAT VALUE
AND I SHALL MAKE THE SAME RECOMMENDATION TO OUR OWN MINISTERS. YOU
KNOW, HOWEVER, THAT THIS IS NOT A MATTER WITHIN THE SECRETARY OF
STATE'S SOLE RESPONSIBILITY AND HE COULD NOT AT THIS STAGE GO BEYOND
PARA 4 OF HIS PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL LETTER OF 3 AUGUST.
DOUGLAS-HOME
FILES:
H.K.D.
SIR L. MONSON MR. BOTTOMLEY MR. VILFORD
CONFIDENTIAL