Mr. Carter
CONFIDENTIAL
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Action is required of us on para.4(b)(d) & (f) on (2). Progress to date is as follows:-
(a) Meat Supplies
(i) Frozen Meat
Commonwealth Trade Department were unable to help and suggested that we should contact the Trade Officers in the Australian and the New Zealand High Commissions.
Hutchison, the head of MAFF's meat division has been extremely helpful, and has produced the name of Philip Griffiths an executive with Vestey's as being the best man to help us. Vesty's are very big international meat traders and operate in HK where they also own cold storage facilities. Griffiths has himself served in HK and is a man of complete discretion.
I think we would get more from a preliminary talk with Griffiths than from an approach to the High Commissions, and Hutchison has offered to invite him round to his affice for a three cornered chat. We would get a pretty good idea of what the possibilities were on the question of alternative frozen meat supplies and of ships serving as floating cold stores. It is general knowledge that HK is looking into alternative supplies and in a purely exploratory discussion I do not think it matters that Griffiths is a member of a particular firm his name was given to Hutchison by the Chairman of the Meat Traders Association, himself an ex-civil servant. Should I proceed accordingly.
(ii) Tinned Meat
MAFF do not hold frozen meat stocks, but they do have tinned meat. We await an estimate from HK of their requirements, but I have discussed the question with Crump of MAFF who recommends we set the ball rolling by a letter. Draft below.
(b) Rationing and Supply Experts.
Mr. Harper (MAFF) the only man who has really detailed knowledge of the sort HK presumably requires, had a serious heart attack when setting up a scheme in Zambia 2 years ago and further overseas service for him is quite out of the question. I am informed by the MAFF Establishment Office (Boss) that there is no current contingency rationing scheme in this country; any planning is based on nuclear attack and is ad học. However, Mr. Boss is going to have another look for a man perhaps SEO level within his Ministry. He is also going to explore the possibility of offering training to an officer from HK; this would have the virtue of making Mr. Harper's expertise available and also that the officer would know what would be suitable for HK's conditions. He will let me have the result of these further investigations as soon as possible.
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The Army are unlikely to be able to help on this; when asked by ODM to supply a successor to Mr. Harper in Zambia the officer they provided was completely unsuitable and this is not really surprising. They might be more successful over a supply expert, but I think we need clarification of their IfK's para.4(f) before we can pursue this.
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I enclose also a draft interim reply to the HK saving.
CONFIDENTIAL
Inculteilt,
P.M. Hewitt September, 1967.
P.TO.
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