Mr Clewley
CONFIDENTIAL
Reference
WORLD WIDE SHIPPING
1.
I was present when Mr William Lee called on Mr Royle this afternoon. Mr Lee had not in fact come to discuss the question of the registration of World Wide ships in Hong Kong but Mr Royle took the opportunity to raise this matter with him.
2.
Mr Lee said that manning was the only real problem. He gave the following example of the difficulties he foresaw. If a ship registered in Hong Kong had, with the agreement of the Director of Marine in Hong Kong, an alien as, say, Chief Engineer and if that Chief Engineer fell sick while the ship were in, for example, an Australian port, the company would have to seek approval from the Director of Marine in Hong Kong before putting anybody else into the Chief Engineer's place. All this would take time and time was money when one was dealing with large oil tankers. Mr Lee asked whether it would be possible to obtain some kind of blanket exemption, say, for a ship. Mr Royle said we would look into this'.
3. Would you please consult the DTI and also Legal Advisers. Subject to what they have to say we shall have to explain to Hong Kong this new point raised by Mr Lee. If the DTI see no objection and if Hong Kong agree the Hong Kong Ordinance dealing with the employment of aliens on ships would, I think, have to be amended.
31 January 1972
Enaria
E O Laird
DD 896639 140609 500M 7/71 GM 3643/2
CONFIDENTIAL