CONFIDENTIAL
2.
}
is not ready to enter dry dock on 8 September, before which
at least five more days' work needs to be done, the dry dock
booking will lapse, causing eight weeks' idleness. The
continued presence of the refugees on board beyond Sunday
at the latest will impose significant cost penalties on
British Petroleum, as well as, according to the advice which we have received, constitute a possible danger to the ship and crew, as well as to the refugees.
The timing of any announcement about a guarantee will need
to be judged in the light of developments concerning the
MV Rudd Bank, about which I have written to you separately It would of course be preferable if the Japanese could
agree to land the Rudd Bank refugees without a guarantee
before they learnt that we had given a guarantee to Singapore in a much less complex case.
I am copying this letter to Chilcot, Home Office, Wile,
Cabinet Office, Beckett Law Officers Department,
·
Harris, Department of Trade.
and