From the Minister of State
CONFIDENTIAL
Rt Hon Alan Williams MP
Bryan Cartledge Esq
Private Secretary to the
Prime Minister
10 Downing Street
WHITEHALL
London SW1
AKK 164/1
PERS INDEX
Noi al
小
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PS.
Department of Industry
Millbank Tower
London SWIP 4QU
Telephone
Telephone Direct Line 01-201
Switchboard 01-211 3000
7 January 1978 ihr Stewart teeb I Thaup
PS/ Lord Goonwy Robut
PS | Pus.
Mr Cortazzi.
Mr MURRAY.
FED.
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Dear Bryan,
HONG KONG POWER STATION PROJECT
976 HKK. 16out
When I wrote to you on 19′ December 1977 to say that a Letter of Intent for the supply of British equipment for the power
station had now been signed, I said also that we intended to delay publicity until about the second week in January, and to handle it with care.
We have now reached the stage where we have obtained the necessary clearances from the companies concerned in order to make the deal public. Mr Williams intends to chair an unattributable Press briefing on Thursday morning at which the Press will receive a prepared "on-the-record" statement. This will express delight at the prospective contract, praise the efforts of the Government, City and Industry in working together and speak hopefully of using Chinese coal for the power station. Mr Williams will also, of course, draw attention to the Prime Minister's personal role in securing the contract. By proceeding in this way, Mr Williams would be reported on Friday as chairing a Press Conference at which the Letter of Intent was announced and at which a number of quotable statements were made, while the more difficult and sensitive questions would have been treated on an "off-the-record" basis.
I am copying this letter to Martyn Baker (Department of Trade), Ewen Fergusson (Foreign and Commonwealth Office), Kingsley Jones (HM Treasury) and James Bretherton (Department of Energy).
Your
Jours sincerely,
Гопи чіль
JOHN MILLS
Private Secretary
CONFIDENTIAL