GR 935
IMMEDIATE
TSSKUY 102100Z
CYPHER CAT A
AND BY BAG.
FR FCO 101415Z
RESTRICTED
HKK
184/!
RECEIVLO IN REGIST V20. 51 1 1 AUG 1978
DESK INDEX
RY
Action Taken
467.
RESTRICTED
DESKBY 10210CZ
No
TO IMEDIATE CANBERRA TEL NO 400 OF 10 AUGUST
CLE
INFO WELLINGTON HONG KONG (GOVERNOR AND ICARFE) DELHI SINGAPORE KUALA LUMPUR JAKARTA BANGKOK MANILA BAHRAIN WASHINGTON PARIS BONN ROME THE HAGUE INFO SAVING VIENNA BELCRADE JOHANNESBURG
OTTAWA
UK/AUSTRALIA AIR SERVICES
LONDON DAILY TELEGRAPH OF 9 AUGUST CARRIED AN ARTICLE ATTRIBUTING TO DOT THE STATEMENT THAT THE AUSTRALIAN AND
UK GOVERNMENTS HAD REACHED A BROAD MEASURE OF AGREEMENT ABOUT REDUCING TO AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS 570 THE RETURN AIR FARE SETWEEN
AUSTRALIA AND UK.
о
2. THE FACTS ARE THAT THE DAILY TELEGRAPH APPROACHED THE DOT AND ASKED IF IT WAS THE CASE THAT THE UK AND AUSTRALIAN GOVERNMENTS HAD REACHED AGREEMENT ON A NEW LOW FARE OF AUSTRALIAN DOLLARS 570 IN THE DISCUSSIONS IN CANTERRA LAST WEEK. DOT ACKNOWLEDGED THAT THERE HAD BEEN DISCUSSIONS ON THE AUSTRALIAN PROPOSALS FOR A CHANGED AIR SERVICES REGINE INCLUDING NEW LOW FARES BUT WHILE THERE HAD BEEN A BROAD MEASURE OF. AGREEMENT ON A NUMBER OF ASPECTS NO REPEAT NO FINAL AGREEMENT HAD SEEN REACHED. BOTH COUNTRIES HAD RECOGNISED THAT THERE 'OULD DE A NEED FOR FURTHER DISCUSSIONS AFTER THE AUSTRALIAN GOVERN ENT HAD DISCUSSED THEIR PROPOSALS WITH OTHER EN-ROUTE COUNTRIES THAT
MICHT TE AFFECTED.
3. YOU SHOULD NOT VOLUNTEER ANY COMMENTS, BUT IF QUESTIONED YOU SHOULD TAKE THE SAME LINE. IF ASKED WHETHER YE OURSELVES
INTEND TO HOLD DISCUSSIONS WITH HID-FOINT COUNTRIES, YOU
SHOULD SAY THAT SUCH DISCUSSIONS WOULD BE PREMATURE AT THIS STAGE.
OWEN.
MAED
SWPD
HKGD
SAD
SEAD
FED
WED
NAD
FILES
PS
PS/MR.JUDD PS/LORD GORONWY ROBERTS
MR.WEIR MR.MURRAY
MISS BROWN
PS/PUS
SIR A.DUFF
MR.BUTLER
MR.CORTAZZI
[COPIED TO CAD/DOT]
MR.HIBBERT
MR.FERGUSSON MR.HALL
MR.MURRAY
MR.POSNETT
RESTRICTED