RR ECGD.
RR DOT
670
UNCLASSIFIED
7371
HICK 173
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY NO. 51
1 1 MAR 1981
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
COMMERCIAL IN CONFIDENCE
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
No MS MAY AW 2
FM BTC HONG KONG 031026Z MAR 81
TO ROUTINE E C G D
TELEGRAM SUMBER EXCED 8 OF 3 MARCH
INFO D O T (FOR DURIE PEP)
FOR FISHPOOL, PROJECT DIVISION 3
FOLLOWING IS MESSAGE FROM CHARLES BIRCH
Sze(12
TOPH ECGD
DOT | PEP 001
Then -TRES
kız
My will
The Searle.
TWO SUBJECTS WERE DISCUSSED AT MEETING WITH MICHAEL ROBERTS
OF LAZARDS HELD MONDAY MORNING 2 MARCH.
2. MASS TRANSIT ISLAND LINE. IN LAZARDS' VIEW THE MAXIMUM VALUE
OF E AND M CONTRACTS WHICH COULD POSSIBLY BE PLACED IN THE UK
TOTALS £65 MILLION AS FOLLOWS : –
A) METCAM 238 MILLION,
(C) GCC RECTIFIERS £8-10
(B) WESTINGHOUSE £10 MILLION, MILLION,
(E) BOOT C3 1/2 MILLION 4 MILLION,
) BALFOUR BEATTY £4-5 MILLION.
(D) OTHER GEC £5-6 MILLION,
3. LAZARDS IMMEDIATE CONCERN WAS WITH THE CONSULTANCY SERVICES
CONTRACTS WHICH WOULD BE PLACED WELL AHEAD OF EQUIPMENT CONTRACTS.
THERE WOULD PROBABLY BE TWO OR THREE CONSULTANCY CONTRACTS GF
ABOUT 23 MILLION, THE LARGEST RELATING TO TUNNELLING, WITH A NUMBER
OF SMALLER ONES RANGING DOWN TO ABOUT £1/4 MILLION. TOTAL
CONSULTANCY, ORDERS WOULD BE ABOUT £10 MILLION £15 MILLION, THE SIX CONTENDERS ARE HASWELL, MOUNSELL, OVE ARUP, FREEMAN FOX, KENNEDY AND DONKIN AND YORK, ROSENBERG AND MARDELL.
4. WE HAVE SAID THAT ECGD WOULD SUPPORT BUYER CREDIT FOR CONSULTANCY
CONTRACTS REPAYABLE ON 5 (FIVE) YEARS CREDIT FROM MID-1985 WHICH IS THE EXPECTED COMPLETION DATE. ROBERTS HAS SAID THAT THE FRENCH ARE (OR WOULD BE) PRESSING HARD FOR THIS BUSINESS. HE WOULD LIKE US TO UNDERTAKE TO EXTEND CREDIT FROM 5 TO 8 1/2 YEARS WHEN ORDERS
FOR EQUIPMENT PLACED IN UK REACHED A PRE-DETERMINED VALUE. WE HAVE SAID THAT WE WOULD NOT WISH TO DO THIS AND THAT IT WOULD CAUSE