CONFIDENTIAL
3. The Governor took the view that it would be
better for the UK not to take the initiative in
offering aid. It would be preferable to respond as
It quickly as possible to a request from Hong Kong.
was left that the Governor would look into the possi+
bilities with a view to stimulating appropriate
requests. We now await/his proposals. We have told
him that the most important thing, from our point of
view, is plenty of warning. We have reminded him of
the ODA's very tight ceiling for 1972/73, and have
said that, if it were
until after
make the task easier.
possible to delay payments
1973/74
$
Financial year, this might
The ODA have subsequently
said that they would be willing to consider reallocat
ting to the Polytechnic, perhaps for the supply of
pol: part
books, part of the £400,000 earmarked for technical
institutes.
Hong Kong Dept. April, 1972
2
CONFIDENTIAL
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