1124
Our Ref:
Your Ref:
8 December, 1993
Mr B G Marr
HM Treasury
Parliament Street
London SW1P 3AQ
Mr Barnes Jonas
нка.
+1 406/2
16 DEC 1993
Foreign & Commonwealth
Office
Overseas Estate Department
Apollo House 36 Wellesley Road
Croydon
Surrey, CR9 3RR
8245 Telephone: 081-760- Facsimile: 081-686 4951
Dear Brian,
INDC,
63
HONG KONG : NEW CONSULATE-GENERAL
Thank you for your letter of 22 July 1993 which approved £3 million for the stages up to, but excluding the main works contract.
1.
2.
We have now completed our appraisals of the Final Sketch Designs and Report. We conclude that the future Consulate General, as now designed, will satisfy all HMG's post 1997 needs and house them in a fitting building of quality that provides good value for money. The revised total estimate project cost now stands at £28,450,000, which compares with the Treasury published Supply Estimates for 1993/94 which state in table 1 that the cost of the project is £29m. The difference between the current and previous cost estimates is due mainly to fluctuations in Rate of Exchange: see item 22 of the attached Project Approval Proforma.
3.
I also enclose updated DCF appraisals of both this project and the only other realistic option i.e. renting. As stated in para 3 of my letter to you of 7 June 1993, we fully appraised in 1989/90 other options and all those that included land cost elements remain relatively much more expensive in comparison with building on the free Colvin House site. The reasons for discarding other possible options remain as explained in para 7 of the letter of 7 June 1993. The summary below of the build and leasing options serves to demonstrate conclusively that building is still much the more economic solution:
PJADS1.92