Enlla
Mr Willaimm
Hick 30611
London SW1A 2AH
RECEIVED
RYG. 51
9 JUL 1981
DESK OFFICER INDEX
Lurn, and
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Borgess
C Copy to clift
@ M.
PHKED
316. Holding
р.а.
Kon
27
Inf. Dept.
8 July 1981
PA
Taks
B
7
Pas 21/21
My Jean Geage
Thank you for your letter of 25 June about the
possibility of a relay station in Hong Kong. I have asked my officials to look into the whole question carefully, bearing in mind the points you made in your previous letter to me of 16 June and all other considerations which your people have drawn to our
attention.
12A
The Governor has made it clear that he will
take no further action until he has my advice. I hope it will not take too long before I am in a
position to give him this advice. At present I am very doubtful whether a case can be made for asking the Hong Kong Government to do more than make a contribution towards the cost, and I see no prospect that they would meet it in full.
See
Moreover, the whole question of the financing of the capital programme to improve audibility depends as you know on the BBC being able to secure certain economies in current operations by 1982/83. At present the capital programme does not envisage work beginning on an additional Far East relay station until 1985/86. Provided the economies are made it may be possible to obtain approval to bring this project forward to match any slippage in another capital project, always assuming we can remain within the framework of the overall capital
programme as planned. I think it would be very difficult to have the relay station operational as early as 1983/84, as mentioned in your letter.
E
J Peta
9
+130
(36
37
51
George Howard Fea
(CARRINGTON N