From P R MATTHEW, Deputy Director-General
CBE
10
Reference: EXT 4/161
Mr JN Powell
Hong Kong Department
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Whitehall
London SW1 (WH)
COMMONWEALTH WAR GRAVES COMMISSION
2 MARLOW ROAD
MAIDENHEAD BERKSHIRE SL6 7DX
Telephone: 0628 34221
18 August 1986
M. Bedford.
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Dear Mr Powell
HONG KONG FUTURE CWGC ARRANGEMENTS
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Further to my letter of 21 May we have been notified of the recent appointment of a new Director of Urban Services in Hong Kong and it is hoped that he will visit us in Maidenhead during October. We shall want to discuss with him our future arrangements and it will greatly help to clear our minds if before then we know what the FCO thinking is.
We are, I think, more and more, attracted to the idea of a new and separate CWGC Ordinance and the conversion of the Commission's rights in the war cemeteries to full scale leases. Even though you may wish to take more time before coming to a final view on the question of a war graves agreement, do you see any difficulty about an immediate proposal from the Commission to the Hong Kong government on the issues of a new Ordinance and leases? These can only be helpful to us and if these changes are to be made, the sooner the better. And I do not think that they would prejudice anyone either in relation to the longer term issue of a war graves agreement or generally.
We would certainly like to put some positive proposals forward quite soon and the opportunity to discuss these in October could be very useful. If you have any comments, would it be possible, please, to have these before then.
Your
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carely Tulip Matthew
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NECE VELD
27 SET 1986
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