SECRET
CDS Drace-Francis Esq
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21 April 1977
(though we would certainly not insist on your setting up any "completely new government organization" to handle it). The MOD have advised that it would be quite wrong to regard the USS Savannah's visits to Hong Kong some 7-10 years ago, when, they understand, no special safety organization was; set up, as a precedent for the "Otto Hahn"'s visit. NUSAFE orders are exclusively drawn up for the British and American nuclear powered warship visits and do not apply to civil visits. This said, you appear to have done very nearly all the work that need go into the preparation of the safety scheme we would like to see. What seems to be required is a combination of the NUSAFE orders and the operation order drawn up by HMS Tamar (and enclosed in your letter of 15 March) but excluding any reference to the Ministry of Defence and to the NUSAFE orders themselves. The MOD (Navy) are prepared to advise on the end product. The final version of the scheme will also need to be cleared by you with the DOT and the SRD of the UKAEA; We and/or the MOD would be happy to act as post boxes for you in this; (b) NUSAFE facilities: If you make a formal request, the MOD
are prepared to consider placing the Naval Emergency Monitoring Team (NEMT) at Alverstoke on standby to fly out in the event of an accident, subject to repayment by you, on whose behalf the NEMT would be acting. Arrangements for recovering any costs from the Germans in such an event would have to be made separately by you direct with the Germans; (c) It is for you to obtain from the Germans (presumably via
the Federal German Consulate-General in Hong Kong) a note providing the same degree of indemnity as was obtained in the case of the Southampton visit. Our Legal Advisers would need to look at the note in advance of the "Otto Hahn"'s visit. I enclose a copy of Bonn telegram no. 774 of 13 August 1976 which contains an English translation of the Note used in the case of the "Otto Hahn"'s visit to Southampton. One section was subsequently changed (see Bonn telegram no. 946 of 15 October: copy also enclosed) and this is underlined.
I
4. At the end of your letter of 15 March you say that if certain conditions are met you "would have no objection to the visit". sympathise with your apparent lack of enthusiasm for the visit. While the "Otto Hahn" is a merchant ship, it was designed for research rather than profit. It may shortly be taken out of operation and, if it is, it is unlikely to be replaced. It is, I think, for you, therefore, to decide whether, in the light of this and of paragraphs 2 and 3 above, you are prepared to set up the necessary arrangements. If you are, So much the better: if you are not we shall not object.
SECRET
/ 5.
I have not