TNAG-0181-FCO40-217-Order-in-Council-for-evacuation-of-Hong-Kong-in-an-emergency-1968 — Page 44

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It is also just possible that, in the event, circumstances might allow

an extempore evacuation to be mounted on a wider scale. It is

therefore considered that fresh Orders should now be made revoking

the existing Orders and replacing them with an up to date version.

This view is shared by the Governor.

8.

Accordingly two draft Orders have been prepared and are attached.

One, the draft Requisitioning of Ships Order, 1969, is designed to

replace the existing Orders and the other is designed simply to

revoke the latter. The reason for providing by a separate Order

for the revocation of the 1955 and 1958 Orders is that the latter

have never been published. If it ever became necessary for the

new Order to be published and brought into effect, the procedure

proposed would avoid having to disclose the existence of the 1955

and 1958 Orders since it would not be necessary to publish the

revoking Order.

9.

Neither the existing Orders nor the proposed new Order provide

for the requisitioning of aircraft. This point was considered Flags E

and F both in 1955 and 1958 and the conclusion then reached was that

negotiation rather than requisition was the most practical way of

obtaining the necessary aircraft. This conclusion remains valid

today and is shared by the Civil Aviation Authorities in the Board

of Trade.

10.

The terms of the draft Requisitioning of Ships Order, 1969,

have been agreed with the Governor, with the Ministry of Defence

and with the Board of Trade. The Order has been specifically

brought to the notice of the President of the Board of Trade who

has raised no objection to it.

October, 1969

b. 5. Carte

(W. S. Carter) Hong Kong Department

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