CO129-618-5 University of Hong Kong- proposed grant for rebuilding and development 28-3-1949 - 27-9-1949 — Page 4

Afton 54147/49.

43

Colonial Office,

The Church House,

Great Smith Street,

London, S.W.1.

27th September, 1949.

I must express regret that your despatch No. 30 of the 15th February has gone unanswered for so long, owing partly to pressure of work here and partly to the need for it to be considered carefully from a number of angles and by various parties. We have, indeed, given a good deal of thought to it, but I am afraid we cannot even now say anything definite on the central question whether the University is to receive assistance from

C.D. & W. funds. As you know in his consideration of applications from Universities the Secretary of State relies very largely for guidance on the Colonial University Grants Advisory Committee and the Inter- Uni versi ty Council. The Executive Committee of the Inter-University Council have told us that they would prefer not to comment on your despatch (which they have studied) until their representatives have visited Hong Kong early next year. I might add here that they expressed the same view on your despatch No. 55 about the School of Architecture, while, as to your despatch No. 32 on the proposal to convert the Tung Wah Hospital into a teaching hospital, they have said that they could not support a proposal that funds should be · found from the C.D. and W. higher education allocation because they consider this should be reserved for directly educational schemes and not used for the provision of health services. We feel it would be impolitic to press them either to reconsider their

Sir A. Grantham, K.C.M.G.

/ view