CO129-611-4 Development Committee- reports on various aspects 11-12-1945 - 14-7-1947 — Page 29

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8.55338

21st January, 1947.

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Dear Miss Ruston,

Please refer to your letters of 31st December and 3rd January referring to proposed supplementary expen- diture on the Development Secretariat in Hong Kong.

I have already authorised over the telephone the post of artist asked for by the Governor in his tele- gram of 30th October.

On the understanding that only short-term self- liquidating projects are involved, I am also prepared to approve the supplementary expenditure of £15,000 to which you refer in your letter of 31st December. I must point out, however, that we have been given none of that information relating to them which we should normally expect in the light of the present arrangements for the control of Hong Kong expenditure.

If I read the story correctly, the £25,000 which Dr. Herklots sought at the meeting in July of last year, was never formally asked for by the Colonial office, because when the Estimates were received from Hong Kong more than the expected provision had already been made under Head 34.

I think I must now ask you, therefore, to furnish me with full information regarding the scope of financial arrangements for the projects initiated by Dr. Herklots as part of the activities of the Develop- ment Secretariat.

Yours sincerely,

Miss A. M. Ruston,

Colonial office.

Downing Street,

S.W.1.