122
TO IMMEDIATE F C O
9P3 345 CONFIDENTIAL
DESKBY0410302
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG 0409472 DEC 81
TELEGRAM NUMBER 1084 OF 4 DECEMBER
HIK 182/1
нки
8 DECILJI
80.31
RY
го
INFO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON
Acnon Taker
INDER
YOUR TELNO 914 OF 3 DECEMBER.
NO 8/12 Original os:
c96
PG 8/12 MKR 12113.
OUR COMMENTS ON QUESTIONS AND PROPOSED ANSWERS TO A BAND, CARE
AS FOLLOWS :
Informat Hly / Action on Para(s)
A. WE DO NOT THINK IT IS FOR US TO COMMENT ON THE PROPOSED REPLY
EXCEPT TO SAY THAT WILL BE CONSIDERED TOTALLY INADEQUATE IN HONG
KONG.
B. WE SUGGEST THE FOLLOWING ALTERNATIVE REPLY:
B
See Hik 182/1 © 1982
''THE PRESENT AIRPORT SHOULD BE ABLE TO DEAL WITH INCREASED
TRAFFIC UNTIL THE MID-1980S. THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT HAS IDENTIFIED
A SITE FOR A REPLACEMENT AIRPORT SUITABLE FROM ALL POINTS OF VIEW
AND IT HAS NOW COMMISSIONED DETAILED DESIGN AND ENGINEERING STUDIES THE WEAKNESS OF THIS SITE IS THE COST OF LAND COMMUNICATIONS. SO, MEANWHILE, THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IS EXPLORING THE POSSIBILITY OF USING AN ALTERNATIVE SITE. A DECISION ON THE REPLACEMENT AIRPORT WILL BE TAKEN, AT THE EARLIEST, IN THE FIRST HALF OF 1983.''
C. THERE ARE LONG STANDING ADMINISTRATIVE ARRANGEMENTS BACKED BY
LEGISLATION AND ENFORCEMENT FOR THE CONTROL OF MOST FORMS OF • POLLUTION IN HONG KONG. THESE ARRANGEMENTS ARE BEING REVIEWED AND A PROGRAMME OF NEW LEGISLATION IS IN HAND. ORDINANCES HAVE RECENTLY
BEEN ENACTED TO CONTROL WASTE DISPOSAL AND WATER POLLUTION.
DRAFTING IS AT AN ADVANCED STAGE ON BILLS TO REPLACE WITH
COMPREHENSIVE NEW MEASURES THE CLEAN AIR ORDINANCE 1959 AND EXISTING CONTROLS ON NOISE. THESE MEASURES, WHICH ARE BASED ON THE
MOST ADVANCED THINKING IN THIS FIELD, ARE LARGELY ANTICIPATORY
AS POLLUTION IS NOT GENERALLY A SERIOUS PROBLEM IN HONG KONG IN
SPITE OF THE EXTRAORDINARILY HIGH DENSITY OF URBAN DEVELOPMENT THERE.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION UNIT, SET UP BY THE HONG KONG
GOVERNMENT IN 1977, HAS NOW BEEN EXPANDED INTO A 100 STRONG
MULTI-DISCIPLINARY ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY EQUIPPED WITH THE MOST UP-TO-DATE DIAGNOSTIC EQUIPMENT. THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION POLICIES OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT, BASED ON THE WORK CARRIED OUT BY THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION AGENCY, ARE IMPLEMENTED BY A NUMBER OF CONTROL UNITS IN VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS.
2. REPLIES TO D, E AND F WILL BE SENT ON MONDAY. WE UNDERSTAND THE
URGENCY OF PQ'S BUT WOULD APPRECIATE IT IF MORE TIME COULD BE
GIVEN TO CONSIDER SUCH QUESTIONS.
MACLEHOSE
LIMITED
HKTGD
ECD (E)
SIR E. YOU DE
MRDONALD
CONFIDENTIAL