Reference.
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HKK 23/4 wither)
Mr. Wade-Gery
I am very glad to see the line taken by your Department in Mr. Baillie's letter to Mr. Radford on 28 September. With respect to the ODM, it seems to
me quite ridiculous that we should attempt to discourage CDC from participating in such a project as this, particularly when (as you will see from the letter to me from the Board of Trade at (11)) we are doing everything we can to help the UK Consortium to get themselves effectively established in Hong Kong. I trust that, if necessary, ODM will be "instructed" to withdraw their objections. (I assume that under the Ministerial reorganisation the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary will be able to issue "instructions" in a matter of
this kind).
ビ
(E. □. Laird)
Hong Kong Department
1 October, 1970
In Laufber в койт (0.r.)
п
En.
10
Mr., Laird
2.
Thank you for the above.
This
The scope of the Ministerial reorganisation has not yet been decided by the Prime Minister. So it is a little difficult to say what will or will not be possible under it. My guess, for what it is worth, is that the ODM will become a semi-autonomous Department under the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary. means that he will become their ultimate boss in the Same way that he is ours. He will certainly be able to issue instructions to them. But I don't think we should assume that he will automatically be ready to do so on our advice, when the advice reaching him from the ODM conflicts.with ours. In other words, we shall have to continue to fight our battles with our familiar weapons. On the other hand, I would expect there to be a definite psychological shift of advantage in our favour.
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Randoker
(R. L. Wade-fery)
2 October, 1970.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.