CDS Drace-Francis Esq Assistant Political Adviser
Government Secretariat
HONG KONG
SECRET
Enter
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233 4777
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RE
HKK 175/2
RECEIVED IN February 1977
11 FEB 1977
Нак
HKK 175/2
VISITS BY NUCLEAR POWERED SHIPS TO HONG KONG
1. Thank you for your letter SCR 16/5701/61 V of 28 December on this subject, which I have circulated to the Ministry of Defence and interested departments within the Office.
2.
The Ministry of Defence have provided the only substantive comments and have coupled their views on your proposal over the revision of the NE SAFE gulations to more particular comments on the "Otto Hahn". They say that the arrangements for the visit of the "Otto Hahn" as for any civil ship, are the responsibility of the Hong Kong Government. In particular, it is your, rather than MOD's, responsibility to set up any safety organisation for the visit which may be necessary to safeguard the general public. If you wish to write a Safety Scheme for the visit, using the existing naval safety scheme as a basis, they will be prepared to give advice on how it should be framed Although naturally the final document would be your, not their, responsibility.
3. As to the NM SAFE regulations, the MOD have stressed that the regulations that apply under them are relevant only to UK/US nuclear powered warships' visits. So far as the MOD are aware, the are no similar restrictions applicable to civil ships, but this is entirely a matter for you. The question, therefore of revising the NUSAFE formula to accommodate the "Otto Hahn" does not arise, although the MOD say they would naturally expect the Hong Kong Government, and your advisers, to take account, in reaching a decision on visits by civil nuclear powered ships, of the fact that usage of berths by UK/US NPWs is 91 ship-days in any one year, to which civil usage would be additional.
4. They add that the reference (in sub-paragrapto 15 days per
godd (c) of enclosure
SCR 16/5701/61 V, "Guidelines for Planning
This
year is a little misleading. The permitted usage of the berths in Hong Kong which are cleared to receive NPWs is currently 25%. was increased from 10% (at which it originally stodd) at the
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SECRET
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