RAILWAY INDUSTRY ASSOCIATION
of Great Britain
mctive House Buckingham Gate London SW1 Telephone: 01-834-1426 Telegrams: Scribo London S.W.1
GRC/DJK
4 Oct pm.
580.K.5.1
Dear Mr. Kerr,
10th September 1971
{
13 SEP1971
Hong Kong Underground
You will know that rapid transit is a growth sector for the Railway Equipment Industry and an important sector for the Civil Engineering and Construction Industry and that one of the most exciting/imminent projects U.K.-wise is the Hong Kong Underground project for which there are British consultants.
This is to let you know the two Associations primarily concerned, the Export Group for the Constructional Industries (EGCI) and ourselves have been active concerning this project for some considerable time including a mission to Hong Kong in July 1970 - and that the stage has been reached where the major U.K. firms in both sectors (civil construction and railway equipment) have come together to form a group which will co-ordinate and project the sole British effort for this vital project.
We have been advised from an irrefutable source that the Japanese who are extremely active and almost certainly our principal competitors have widely infiltrated an impression in Hong Kong that this project is passed the post as it were and that it will be placed with the Japanese and that the British would be well advised to counter this propaganda impression by all reasonable means at our disposal SO We are naturally turning to the C.0.1. to assist us in this regard.
We would be grateful for an early meeting with you - the participants on our side being the Director of the EGCI, Mr. Iain Ross and myself and in the anticipation that you will be agreeable perhaps your office will give me a ring so that we can fix a date.
I am copying this letter to Mr Ross - also to Mr Toms, D.T.I., C.R.E., who covers Hong Kong and who will I feel sure support this approach to you as indeed would the F.C.0. should you wish to
consult them.
Mr. D.F. Kerr, CVO.,OBE., Controller (Overseas),
Central Office of Information, Hercules Road,
Westminster Bridge Road,
London SE1
Yours sincerely,
c.c. Mr. I.L. Ross
Mr. A.F. Toms
P.S.
Sitectur
I should add that the underground project has yet to be authorised by the Hong Kong Government but we are confi- dent that it will be in the near future hence this approach to you recognising that any U.K. projection initiatives agreed between us will need to be carefully thought out in terms of impact and timing.
Formerly The Locomotive & Allied Manufacturers' Association
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