CLP/KEC JOINT PROJECT WOULD HAVE BEEN THE STRAIGHTFORWARD ONE OF CONSULTANT TO THE PROJECT. HOWEVER, IF, AS WAS NOW THE CASE, CLP HELD NO EQUITY BUT STILL WANTED A SAY IN OPERATIONS THE POSITION WAS MORE COMPLEX. A PARTNERSHIP BETWEEN THE AEA AND /OR HKG, AND/OR HONG KONG FINANCIAL INTERESTS AND KEC LEFT THE QUESTION OF THE SAFETY DIVISION'S ALLEGIANCE UNCLEAR.
9. ACTUAL CONTROL WOULD REST WITH PEKING AND EFFECTIVE MONITORING BY THE DIVISION WOULD DEPEND ON CLOSE INTER-ACTION WITH THEIR CHINESE COUNTERPARTS AND SO FAR HE WAS CONFIDENT THIS COULD BE ACHIEVED. HOWEVER, HIS INSTINCT FAVOURED FORMAL ALLEGIANCE NOT TO THE CHINESE WHO RAN THE OPERATION, OR THE CONSORTIUM WHO BUILT IT BUT TO HKG BECAUSE THIS WOULD CREATE A LEGITIMATE REASON FOR
CONTINUED DISCUSSION BETWEEN HKG AND THE CHINESE.
10. THE GOVERNOR SAID THAT HKG'S POSITION WAS SIMPLE. THERE WAS NO
ONE INHONG KONG COMPETENT TO ADVISE ON SAFETY AND IT HAD THEREFORE
APPROACHED HMG FOR ADVICE AND THE LATTER HAD RESPONDED WITH THE
AEA IN THE PERSON OF DR MARSHALL. HKG WOULD NOT QUERY HIS ADVICE
BUT WAS OBLIGED TO ENSURE THAT HE WAS ADEQUATELY BRIEFED ON
LOCAL CONDITIONS IN ADVISING HKG, CLP AND KEC. PUBLICLY HKG
MUST BE SEEN TO BE SEEKING THE BEST POSSIBLE ADVICE. AFTER CONTRACTS
WERE SIGNED HKG MUST STILL ENSURE THAT THE PROJECT IS GIVEN THE
BEST POSSIBLE ADVICE IN THE FIELD OF SAFETY, ALBEIT THAT THE NATURE
OF THE BY THEN TRIANGULAR RELATIONSHIP WOULD DEPEND ON THE FORM
OF ADVICE WHICH CLP AND KEC AGREED WAS REQUIRED.
11. DR MARSHALL FEARED THAT ANY SUGGESTION THAT PEKING WAS NOT ULTIMATELY RESPONSIBLE FOR SAFETY WOULD BE INSULTING TO THE CHINESE. HOWEVER, THE GOVERNOR AND SES FELT THAT THE INTERESTS OF HKG IN THE SAFETY OF THE PLANT AND SECURITY OF SUPPLY PROVIDED LEGITIMATE GROUNDS FOR A CONTINUING INVOLVEMENT ON SAFETY UNTIL CHINA HAD ITS OWN COMPETENT SAFETY ORGANISATION. UNTIL PEKING'S TECHNICIANS WERE FULLY COMPETENT THERE WAS A NEED FOR A WRITTEN AGREEMENT DEFINING THE ROLE OF CLP'S NOMINEE INSPECTOR ( THE SBTC CAUTIONED THAT THE SAFETY DIVISION'S DUAL ALLEGIANCE AS AGENT OF THE CONSORTIUM AND ADVISER TO HKG MIGHT DESTROY ITS PUBLIC CREDIBILITY. HOWEVER, IT WAS POINTED OUT THAT THE NUCLEAR INSPECTOR WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR INFORMAL ADVICE AND WOULD PROVIDE A USEFUL PUBLICLY QUOTEABLE SECOND OPINION IF THE OCCASION
DEMANDED.
AEA).
12. AFTER SOME DISCUSSION OF THE MECHANICS OF CONTINUOUS MONITORING AND PERIODIC SHUT DOWN IT WAS AGREED THAT MORE THOUGHT SHOULD BE GIVEN TO THE TYPE OF SAFETY ORGANISATION WHICH SHOULD BE AIMED FOR IN THE EVENTUAL WRITTEN AGREEMNT BETWEEN CLP AND KEC, AND THAT THIS WOULD BE DISCUSSED AT THE NEXT MEETING.
PUBLIC RELATIONS LIAISON
13. DR MARSHALL SAID THAT THE TIME WAS RAPIDLY APPROACHING WHEN THERE WOULD BE GREATER PUBLIC INTEREST IN THE PROJECT AND INEVITABLY DEMANDS FOR A SPOKESMAN ON SAFETY MATTERS. HIS POSITION WAS DIFFICULT IN THAT HE DETECTED A DIFFERENCE IN ATTITUDES BETWEEN SIR LAWRENCE KADOORIE, WHO WAS KEEN TO ANSWER EACH
CONFIDENTIAL
3
/ AND