CO129-618-1 Institute of Medical Research- proposed construction 21-4-1947 - 5-12-1947 — Page 8

Wt. 29446/552 9/46 50m. S. & S. Ltd.

C. O.

14 AUG

54403/1/47

8

4.

Mr....Galsworthy 8/8

Dr. Mahaffy 11/15

Mr. Magh Hibber is

Tuly

Mr. Mayle (4/

Mr......

DRAFT. s/o

SIR ALEXANDER GRANTHAM, KC.M.G.

FURTHER ACTION.

証

Permt. U.S. of S.

3 0 AUG 1947

Parly. U.S. of S.

Secretary of State.

For Mr. Mayle's signature.

C.D. & W. Schemes - Construction of Institute of Medical Research.

Whilst Selwyn Clarke was over here he

had a discussion with Caine and Mahappy, the

Secretary of the Colonial Medical Research

Committee, as a result of which it was

agreed that an application should be drafted

in the Colonial Office for a grant from

C.D. & W. funds, to be charged partly to

Hong Kong's C.D. & W. allocation and partly

to Central Research funds, to meet expenses

in connection with a proposed Institute for

Medical Research to replace the Pathological

Institute and Animal Houses.

2 Selwyn Clarke explained that he had been

hin hax asked to see Caine by the Hong Kong Develop-

ment and Welfare Committeelt. the last

meeting which he attended of that body before

his departure from the Colony. He pressed

very strongly that a scheme should be made

immediately to cover the cost of constructing

a new Institute for Medical Research, and

though we were not quite clear at the time

that in fact he was in a position to canmit

the Govt. of Hong Kong to the scheme, we

eventually agreed to go ahead with the

preparation of an application on the under standing (a) that he would first of all

/discuss

4

Page

Page

discuss the project with you in London, and

(b) that he would provide detailed information on which the application could be based.

3 We do not know whether in fact he did mention

this scheme to you, but there is no record in the office of your ever having mentioned it to us or having expressed any view on it in principle. So far as (b) above is concerned we have not in fact been able

to obtain anything like the detailed information that

we should have to have, both as to the exact functions

of the projected Institute and the estimated cost of

construction, in order to enable us to draft an

application. On the latter point, all we have is

an estimate given to us by Selwyn Clarke that $500,000 would be needed for the Institute and $250,000 for the Animal Houses. Obviously, however, we should need far more detailed estimates than this,

4. But more recently we have seen from MacDougall's tel. No. 1169 of the 18th July, that the shortage of building materials and the need for concentrating on rehabilitation of war-damaged property rather than on new developments has made it necessary to postpone a number of important projects, chiefly under the heads of Education and Public Health which would involve

large-scale new building. We take themolana that this

trans Cana

decision includes the projected Institute for Medical

therefor Research and are taking no further action here. If and when you decide that the scheme should be pursued, I am afraid that it would be necessary for the application to be initiated locally in view of our lack of detailed information.

5

In case you should desire this to be done you will, I think, wish to have some indication of whether or not the Colonial Medical Research Committee would feel able to recommend that any part of the scheme should be Pinanced out of Central Research Funds. On this point

he view which Mahaffy expressed at the meeting I have

/referred

(3)

9

age 9

age 9