if a full investigation leads to the conclusion that a service cannot be made self-supporting if any other way.
It must be understood that these are general lines of policy. No suggestion has so far been made by the Goverment of Hong Kong to the Secretary of State for the Colonies of the character of item 5 of the simtes of the Broadonating Advisory Committee's meeting in Hong Kong on 11th August. If and when it were, it would be considered in the light of current local circumstances. It would be neither proper nor possible for me to predict now what decision would be reached,
Subject to anything that the Foreign Office may say, I would suggest that in reply to the Trade Commissioner it should be pointed out that paragraph 9 of his despatch is not in accordance with the facts. There can have been no question of financial assistance by the B.B.C. in equipping new broadcasting premises for Radio Hong Kong. It is possible that the Programme Secretary in Hong Kong may have thought that he might get B.B.C. surplus equipment which has not in fact been available. Ür, again, I believe that the B.B.C's estimate of studio equipment needed has turned out to be higher than was expected in Hong Kong. But the implication that financial assistance was promised or withdrawn must be based on a misunderstanding.