therefore dismayed to be told last April that
ODM's technical assistance to Hong Kong was
"confined to a tapering programme of mapping
work by the Directorate of Overseas Surveys and
some training at a cost of £30,000 a year
it was
"
which we hope eventually to reduce if not to
A
#1
eliminate in view of Hong Kong's relative
affluence". You rightly say in your circular
that participation in an overseas country's
developing programme should normally extend
over a period of years. This is obviously the
case with technical assistance and to run down
the programme because Hong Kong is well offat
the moment is apparently a short-sighted policy.
10. I was glad to see from your immediate
minute of 8 August that this Office is to be
consulted about ODM's proposals for mopping up
the substantial sum underspent out of the cur-
rent aid ceiling. It would be interesting to
on which know of the basis these supplementary alloca-
tions ware being made: probably on the basis
^
are
that the countries concerned would-be in a
position to spend money rapidly. It may be too
late to adapt the Kai Tak requests to this new
situation: in fact on account of ODM's doctri-
nal opposition it probably is: but if we get
ministerial support for some aid to the Colony
it will be useful to know that there is a sum
of money available to meet the cost.
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