CONTRACT AT THE END OF IT. HC
THOUGHT WILL HAVE TO RE O TO SOME COMPENSATION FOR THIS AND IMPLIED THAT IDEA HAD BEEN MOOT V AT THE STEERING GROUP BUT WITHOUT A VIEW BEING FORMED. IMPRESSIO! WAS THAT IT WOULD BE REVIEWED AGAIN IN THE LIGHT OF REACTIONS AT NEXT ROUND. COMMENT # THIS SUGGESTS THAT AN ENQUIRY ABOUT THIS WOULD NOT BE TAKEN AMISS AND COULD BE SATISFACTORY. BUT I THINK IT WOULD BE BETTER MADE DURING TALKS AND NOT IN LETTER.
HE ALSO RECOGNISES THAT A LATE START MAY HAVE TO MEAN A LATE FINISH BUT IT WAS 'NT CLEAR HOW FAR THE REST OF THE GROUP OR THE GOVERNOR ARE YET RECONCILED TO THIS. THE LATE START HAS
SO FAR SUCCESSFULLY - BY BEEN CAAMOUFLAGED TO PRESS AND PUBLIC VAGUENESS OVER THE DATE AND THE DECISION TO START WORK ON KOWLOON BAY SITE BEGINNING OF JANUARY (HE ADMITS THIS IS A DELIBERATE DECOY)} COMMENT:- IT REMAINS TO BE SEEN HOW FAR DELAY IN THE FIRST TRAIN COULD BE ACCEPTED AND CAMOUFLAGED: THE GOVERNOR RECENTLY STRESSED TO ME THAT COMPLETION DATE IS IMPORTANT' BUT DIDNT SPECIFY WHAT DATE HE MEANT BY THAT. BUT IT SEEMS AT LEAST NEGOTIABLE.
5.
WILKINS ASSURED ME THAT REVISED TIMETABLE WAS NOT DEVISED AS A WAY OF SQUEEZING SOME CONSORTIA OUT ALTHOUGH IT WAS RECOGNISED THAT IT MIGHT HAVE THIS EFFECT. SOME MIGHT NOT STAY THE COURSE AFTER THE NEXT TALKS FOR ONE REASON OR ANOTHER: IF SO THAT WOULD
HAVE TO BE.
6% IT IS RECOGNISED THAT RESULT OF THE NEW APPROACH IE EACH GROUP DOING ITS OWN DESIGN WITHIN THE BASIC PARAMETER - COULD BE FOUR DIFFERENT DESIGNS TO EVALUATE AND DECIDE ON. BUT THIS CAN GO ON AS DESIGNING PROCEEDS. STEERING GROUP CONSIDER THAT CONSORTIA SHOULD BE ABLE TO DESIGN IN PACE WITH THE SUPPLY OF INFORMATION
FROM PWD CONSULTANTS.
7. HE SAID THAT THE PROPOSED ASKING PRICE WAS THOUGHT TO BE REASONABLE IN LIGHT OF ALL THE INDICATIVE PRICINGS. THERE WAS AN IMPLICATION THAT IT WAS ASSUMED THAT THESE WERE PITCHED HIGH ANYWAY. FACT THAT IT IS CLOSE TO BRITISH GROUP FIGURE WAS **PURE COINCIDENCE' AND OF COURSE IT IS INCLUSIVE OF MANY OF THE EXTRAS BRITISH GROUP HAD LEFT TO ONE SIDE.
&. HE COMMENTED THAT SEEN FROM THE GRANDSTAND' 'THE MAIN AREA OF DIFFICULTY PROBLEM IN THE BRITISH GROUP PRICING WAS THE CIVIL EGINEERING SIDE. HE WAS SURE THAT IF THEY TOOK A LESS PESS- IMISTIC'' APPROACH THEY COULD GET THEIR PRICE DOWN CONSIDERABLY AND BRING THE BRITISH GROUP WITHIN THE CEILING.
INTENTION IS TO HOLD ALL THE 2 EUROPEAN TALKS
INCLDUDING