prove more palatable if the proposal is put as an alternative to the international "buy-out' option. A specific time limited reservation will also help coupled with an assurance that existing ivory stocks will be stringently controlled by
Government.
FINANCIAL AND STAFFING IMPLICATIONS
16
Additional funds will be required to organize and operate the retraining programme. Detailed costings are not known at this stage, but on the basis of existing training courses the charge to public funds for courses of six months duration, should all eligible workers participate, could be as high as $84 million. This sum includes $2,500 per month subsistence allowance for each trainee for
trainee for six months and the cost of training material, and temporary training staff. In practice the number of participants is likely to be far less, but at the present time we have no reliable data from which to work. We would aim to ensure that the total cost of this retraining programme did not
did not exceed an upper limit $10 million.
of
PUBLIC CONSULTATION
17
The Endangered Species Advisory Board considered the matter on 31 October. It concurred with the
the proposals to establish an international fund to buy out stocks and the entering of a reservation. The Board, however, recommended a reservation valid for either two years or for no fixed period but coupled to the establishment of a bonded warehouse to hold all ivory (the view of the Administration is that
that six months remains the best we can expect).
PUBLIC REACTION
18
a
reservation
It is public knowledge that the ivory trade
trade has requested the creation of a buy-out fund and the entering of
behalf. on Hong Kong's
Public awareness has increased since the demonstrations by the ivory workers and there is some sympathy for their plight. The media has also been supportive. The UK's role in representing Hong Kong's
interests will attract attention.
PUBLICITY
18
any
It is not intended that there should be publicity until the UK's reaction to the proposals is known. A press line will be prepared.