CONFIDENTIAL
150356
MDHIAN 2367
PRESENT.
5. WE HAVE HOWEVER HEARD FROM TWO SENIOR SOURCES THAT THERE IS STILL ONE IMPORTANT ISSUE TO BE RESOLVED WITH THE AJC AND THAT THIS MUST BE SATISFACTORILY DEALT WITH BEFORE THE CONTRACT IS AWARDED TO THEM.
6. MEANWHILE AN ANNOUNCEMENT HAD BEEN EXPECTED THIS WEEK ON THE
APPOINTMENT OF HALCROWS AS PROJECT MANAGERS FOR THE MAIN BRIDGE CONTRACT. THIS IS A SEPARATE CONTRACT WORTH ABOUT POUNDS 8 MILLION. HALCROWS HAVE TOLD ME HOWEVER THAT THEY DID NOT GET THE CONFIRMING LETTER A FEW DAYS AGO AS EXPECTED. THEY HAD HEAR THAT THE CHAIRMAN OF BROWN AND ROOT OF THE USA, WHO HAD ALSO COMPETED FOR THE CONTRACT, HAD COMPLAINED TO HONG KONG ADMINISTRATION ON HEARING THAT IT WAS GOING TO HALCROW, THAT TOO MANY CONTRACTS WERE GOING TO THE BRITISH, AND THAT AS A RESULT THE CHIEF SECRETARY HAD ASKED FOR A REVIEW AND THAT THE LETTER TO HALCROW
BE HELD BACK. HALCROWS HAVE ASKED ME IF I CAN HELP. I HAVE MADE SYMPATHETIC NOISES AND SAID I WILL DO WHAT I CAN. I WILL RAISE IT INFORMALLY AS AND WHEN OPPORTUNITY ARISES, BUT IF AS WE HOPE THE MAIN BRIDGE CONTRACT IS GOING OUR WAY THIS SEEMS HARDLY THE TIME
TO RAISE THE QUESTION OF WHETHER UK COMPANIES ARE GETTING APPROPRIATE TREATMENT.
HEAP
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ΜΑΙΝ
84
.HONG KONG AIRPORT GENERAL
HKD
PUSD
ECONOMIC ADVISERS
ERD
FED
JOINT DIRECTORATE
LEGAL ADVISERS//MS BROOKS
.AND MS BARRETT
NEWS D
DISTRIBUTION
92
PLANNERS
RAD
PS
PS/MR GOODLAD
PS/PUS
MR CROWE
SIR J COLES
MR MILES
MR BURNS
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