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It is also clear to me, however, that prices put forward by the companies themselves would not be close enough to those that could be offered by competitors, especially the Japanese.
I wish, therefore, to include certain technical consultancy services from the CEGB as part of the UK offers. The CEGB's best estimates of the cost of these services is that those for Units 3 and 4 will be £4.Om at 1977 prices and those for the transmission system will be £2.5m at 1977 prices. (I must point out that the cost of the services for Units 3 and 4 might rise slightly if CLP/Esso delay commissioning these sets beyond the current timetable).
:
The bulk of the expenditure on the transmission system and Units 3 and 4 will not arise until the 1980s but in so far as any expenditure arises within the present PES period the Department of Industry will be able to contain it with its present provision. I hope, therefore, that you can agree to this expenditure so that we can win these major overseas contracts.
The matter is extremely urgent, since we have to put our proposals to China Light and Power by 31 May. I should be grateful therefore
· for an answer by midday on Tuesday 30 May.
ister,
I am copying this letter to the Prime Minister, Tony Benn, Edmund Dell and David Owen.
ALAN WILLIAMS
Sucency,
Alain
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