CONFIDENTIAL
Reference
งา
cc Mr Stickels (Finance Dept)
Mr R S White (Investment
and Consultancies Dept)
561
Mr Williams (o.r.)
In your absence, and with Mr King also away, the attached minute from Mr O'Keefe of Hong Kong and Indian Ocean Department about technical assistance in the form of books and other instructional materials for the Hong Kong Polytechnic came
I have looked at the papers but it does not seem to me that there is any proposition which could be submitted to the Minister, if he were here, in the context of the Projects Committee. We appear to have given a Ministerial umbrtaking to provide £500,000 to the Polytechnic for this purpose and also £400,000 for 4 technical institutes in Hong Kong. Ever since then we have been trying to extract from the Hong Kong authorities a statement of their requirements and other information necessary to convert this promise into a project, or series of projects. It is perhaps illuminating that in the minute of 18 June at (E) the Polytechnic authorities are quoted as saying that the grant was thrust upon them and was not really needed and consequently officials in Hong Kong were reluctant to make the effort involved in satisfying our requirements for the delineation of a project submissible to the Minister. What really appears to be required is authority to meet indents for books from the Polytechnic over and above the total of £38,000 already authorised and I'do not see why this could not be done as an interim measure up to say £50,000 for the time being. I would not accept that to do no more than this is going back on our word since all we have really been asking for is a statement of the relevant items from British supply on which we should spend the money.
I tried to telephone Mr O'Keefe to explore some of these thoughts with him but he is apparently on leave until 27 August. Since I will be away next week and you may be back I am leaving the papers for your consideration, but will be perfectly prepared to try to tackle this again from 1 September if circumstances so demand.
CODE 18-77
W A Mathieson 21 August 1975
Mer. Slickel
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CONFIDENTIAL
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