To:
dti
the department for Enterprise
Mr Blundell )
PEP2
) separate
Mr Sansum > copies
EM4
From:
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Christian Adams
На/РЕР
V/221
215 5462
12 December 1988
HKC 166/1
4
CC
7! 13/12
пол MEA-N 141n
Mr Benjamin EM Mr Wheeler
Dr Palmer
Mr Goodman Mr Cooper
4134
PEP1 M M/
PEP 3
EM4
FED, FCO HKD, FCO
Mr Hum
Mr Day
EM4
Mr Ludford
EM4
PA
14/12
POWER STATIONS: HONG KONG AND BRITISH BOILER CAPABILITY
May I answer Mr Sansum`s minute of 1 December and Mr Blundell`s minute of 7 December together since they both address this point in different ways?
2.
I was undoubtedly guilty in my minute of 29 November recording my discussion with Mr Stones of taking his comments at face value. He was so dismissive of Babcocks as to suggest that the FKI takeover had brought Babcocks boiler making capability to an end. Mr Sansum`s minute has made clear that this is anticipating the situation somewhat. That said Mr Stones will take much convincing that, in a future CLP power station, he should entrust the boiler to Babcocks.
3.
I doubt whether a public relations operation involving a trip to Hong Kong by the Babcock Energy Division would achieve much. Mr Stones is a cussed individual and would require assurances from FKI which they would not, at this stage, be able to give. But when the situation is clearer, and if it is favourable, then a major effort should be made with Mr Stones.
4. Finally, turning to the point in Mr Blundell`s minute of 7 December about NEI, I hope that it is right that NEI are still internationally competitive in this area. The difficulty in the case of CLP is that Mr Stones has a very low opinion of NEI, an