نگ
RESTRICTED
82
113476
MDLOAN 8090
RESTRICTED
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY BTC HONG KONG
TELNO 119
OF 12100OZ JUNE 92
HKD 407/1
FOLLOWING FOR SBTC FROM HUM (AUSS)
(78)
M Wadow
15/6
DBC? Mr Morris
176
YOUR TELNO 166: POST-1997 ESTATE IN HONG KONG: FUTURE BRITISH CONSULATE-GENERAL
1
THANK YOU FOR THESE COMMENTS. THIS TELEGRAM ADDRESSES THOSE RELATING DIRECTLY TO THE NEW CONSULATE-GENERAL BUILDING (IE B, C AND E IN YOUR PARA 1). WE SHALL WANT TO ADDRESS A AND D IN SLIGHTLY SLOWER TIME.
2. THE POINTS WHICH YOU RAISED ON THE CONSULATE-GENERAL WERE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED IN THE COURSE OF THE MEETING OF THE STEERING COMMITTEE WHICH I CHAIRED ON 9 JUNE, AND I HAVE ALSO BEEN OVER THEM SEPARATELY WITH OED. OUR REACTIONS ARE SET OUT BELOW, WITH THE POINTS ADDRESSED IN THE ORDER IN WHICH YOU RAISED THEM.
BUDGET POLICY (YOUR PARA 4)
3. THE COST OF A BUILDING IS OF COURSE LARGELY A FUNCTION OF ITS SIZE. THIS IS DETERMINED IN THIS CASE BY THE STAFFING AND OPERATIONAL REQUIREMENTS THAT ARE FORECAST FOR THE CONSULATE-GENERAL AND THE BRITISH COUNCIL, AND ARE IMPLICIT IN THE AGREED BRIEF. IT WAS AGREED AT THE STEERING COMMITTEE THAT WE SHOULD RECHECK CERTAIN OF THE ASSUMPTIONS UNDERLYING THESE FORECASTS: THE BRITISH COUNCIL WILL BE CARRYING OUT A COMPARABLE EXERCISE. SOME REDUCTIONS IN SIZE MAY BE ACHIEVED AS A RESULT. THE ANTICIPATED CAPITAL COSTS AND RUNNING COSTS OF ALL THE COMPETING DESIGNS ROUGHLY FALL WITHIN THE SAME BRACKET. OED ARE CONFIDENT THAT THERE WILL BE NO QUESTION OF NELSON'S COLUMN WITHOUT NELSON. WHERE FUTURE COST CONTROLS ARE CONCERNED, OED AND SWIRES WILL OF COURSE ENSURE THAT STRINGENT MECHANISMS ARE PUT IN PLACE.
4. YOU REFER TO THE NEED FOR A BALANCED STOCK OF STAFF HOUSING IN HONG KONG. EXCO'S CONDITIONS FOR MAKING THE PRIVATE TREATY GRANT OF THE SITE AT NOMINAL CHARGE INCLUDE A CEILING ON GROSS FLOOR AREA OF 19,000 SQUARE METRES AND LIMITATIONS ON THE WAY
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