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GR 300 IMMEDIATE
WPHER CAT A
FM F C O 191403Z
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
THIS IS A COPYKI<173/3
THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN EV
CLOSED UNTIL
EXEMPTION No
27 MAY 1978
Tekon
UNDER FOLK OFFAER
HO
TO IMMEDIATE HONG KONG TEL NO 403 OF 19 MAY,
INDEX
PA
MY TEL NO 238 : KOWLOON/CANTON RAILWAY STATION PETITION.
1.
THE PETITION HAS BEEN SUBMITTED TO HER MAJESTY, WITH THE
SECRETARY OF STATE'S RECOMMENDATION, THAT IT SHOULD NOT BE GRANTED.
REPLY TO THE
PETITIONERS AS FOLLOWS :-
QUOTE.
GENTLEMEN, I AM COMMANDED BY HER MAJESTY THE QUEEN TO REPLY TO YOUR UNDATED PETITION SEEKING THE PRESERVATION OF THE OLD KOWLOON/
CANTON RAILWAY TERMINUS IN TSIM SHA TSUI.
AFTER CAREFUL CONSIDERATION HAD BEEN GIVEN TO ALL THE POINTS IN
YOUR PETITION, THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AND COMMON-
WEALTH AFFAIRS WAS UNABLE TO ADVISE HER MAJESTY THAT THE PETITION
SHOULD BE GRANTED. THE SECRETARY OF STATE ACCEPTED THAT CONCERN AT THAT THE PROPOSED DEMOLITION OF THE TERMINUS HAD BEEN EXPRESSED
BY A SUBSTANTIAL NUMBER OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG, BUT HE ALSO REALISED THAT THERE WAS AN UREGENT NEED FOR THE NEW CULTURAL
COMPLEX THAT WILL BE CONSTRUCTED ON THE SITE, AND THAT THIS NEW COMPLEX WILL PROVIDE FACILITIES THAT VILL SENEFIT THE ENTIRE
HONG KONG POPULATION. TO ALTER THE PLANS FOR THE COMPLEX IN
ORDER TO RETAIN THE ENTIRE TERMINUS BUILDING WOULD INEVITABLY
CREATE UNVELCOME DELAY AND LEAD TO A LOWER STANDARD OF FACILITIES,
THE SECRETARY OF STATE THEREFORE CONCLUDED THAT IT WAS NOT IN THE
INTEREST OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG FOR THE PLANS TO BE SO
AMENDED. HOWEVER, HE WELCOMED THE DECISION TO RETAIN THE CLOCK-
TOWER AND TO INTEGRATE IT AS AN ESSENTIAL VERTICAL FEATURE IN
THE DESIGN OF THE NEW CULTURAL COMPLEX,
HER MAJESTY HAS ACCEPTED THE SECRETARY OF STATE'S ADVICE AND
NAS COMMANDED TO NIFORM YOU THEAEFORE THAT YOUR PETITION
CANNOT DE ENTERTAINED.
UNQUETE
OWEN
Files HK IGR
HE MURRAY
1 AM ETC.
COPIES TO
HK RUUT OFFICE
IN LONDON!
COMMENTI
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