CONFIDENTIAL
*
4755
MDHIAN 0115
3 =
BUT COULD ACCURATELY BE PRESENTED AS THE PROVISION OF EMERGENCY
RELIEF SINCE THE NEW ACCOMMODATION WOULD MAKE CONDITIONS MORE
TOLERABLE FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE MOVED OUT OF THE TEMPORARY RECEPTION CENTRES SET UP IN THE INTERIM.
(C) HMG WOULD MEET THE COST OF A SUBSTANDARD AND MAKESHIFT WHITEHEAD (PARA (D) OF MY TELNO 1073 REFERS). THIS WOULD INVOLVE A CONTRIBUTION OF APPROX HK DOLLARS 40 MILLION. FOR THE REASONS INDICATED IN MY TELNO 1072, THIS OPTION COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME WITHOUT FURTHER SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS
AND IS THEREFORE NOT (NOT) RECOMMENDED.
ANY OF THESE OPTIONS WOULD, IN MY JUDGMENT, RECONCILE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO THE AUTHORISATION OF FURTHER FUNDS BY HONG KONG AND
WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL EFFECT IN REVIVING CONFIDENCE
HERE IN HMG'S GENERAL COMMITMENT TO ASSISTING HONG KONG TO
RESOLVE ITS CURRENT VBP PROBLEM. ON THE OTHER HAND, WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT GESTURE BY HMG THERE IS A VERY STRONG LIKELIHOOD THAT
FINANCE COMMITTEE WOULD REFUSE TO VOTE ADDITIONAL FUNDS OR WOULD AT
ANY RATE BLOCK FURTHER WORK ON WHITEHEAD.
I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR A REPLY BY THE END OF THIS WEEK IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, AS WE SHALL NEED TO FINALISE OUR OWN FINANCIAL PLANS VERY QUICKLY. I AM ANTICIPATING THAT WE SHALL NEED TO SUBMIT OUR
FUNDING PROPOSALS TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING ON 26 APRIL.
4.
MY FIRST IFT CONTAINS A BREAKDOWN OF COST ESTIMATES FOR
TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION AND WHITEHEAD STAGES 3 AND 4. MY SECOND
IFT CONTAINS INFORMATION REQUESTED IN PARA 4 OF YOUR TELNO 789.
5.
WILSON
YYYY
MAIN
а
96
DISTRIBUTION
102
VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
LIMITED
HKD SEAD
NEWS
PS
PS/LORD GLENARTHUR
PS/MR PATTEN ODA
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