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Separate copies:
Mr Davies, FED
Mr Ricketts, HKD
Mr Hewitt, SEAD
HKD 345/4.
FROM: CO Hum
DATE: 1 July 1992
Mr-Woodrow
Grateful if you couled
lake action or para. 7. My furress is. delays in otazy kong visits for Vietnamese
ASIA PACIFIC ADVISORY GROUP: 30 JUNE
Mleven? 17
1. I am most grateful for the briefing provided for yesterday afternoon's meeting of the Asia Pacific Advisory Group. Three points arose which need to be noted or followed up.
a) Anglo-Taiwan Education Centre (ATEC).
2. When Mr Simmons reported to the Group on the discussion of the Taiwan Action Committee he drew attention to the funding problems of the ATEC. He said his understanding was that the Centre would be forced to close in November if further funding was not available. It had been severely affected by the need to vacate its office to allow expansion of the ATTC, and to take up a new lease at a greatly increased rental. He found it incomprehensible that such an effective and cost-efficient operation should be allowed to close. The private sector had done its bit in helping to set up the Centre, and it was now for HMG to take up its responsibilities.
3. Mr Pugh of the British Council, who was attending by invitation to speak under another agenda item, explained that the Council was seeking money for the ATEC in the November round. But the round would be an extremely difficult one and he did not know what the outturn would be. The only alternative to new funding was to try to reallocate existing funds so as to make a sum available for the ATEC, but times were hard and he did not know whether this would be possible. Mr Pugh admitted under questioning from Mr Simmons that even if extra funding was secured in the November round this would not be ready for disbursement until April next year. Mr Simmons appealed to other Government Departments to consider how bridging finance might be identified. Mr Love (DTI) said his Minister had much sympathy with the plight of the ATEC, and would be writing to the British Council to urge that funding for the Centre be found one way or another. I made generally positive but non-committal noises.
4. I should be most grateful if FED could let me know (orally will do) where matters stand. On the face of it there are good arguments for keeping the ATEC open, and I should like to know what part we can play in bringing pressure to bear on the British Council at this end.
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