TNAG-0276-FCO40-312-Plans-for-construction-of-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-1970 — Page 72

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

Extrael D. 1.B

inglo Meeting

32

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Friday, Octobor 9, 1970

Sir J. Conferthwaite :-

"This proposal, which tho committoo confossos to bo outside its

torms of roforonco, appears to have boon a lato compromise between conflicting

vious, based on an orroncous boliof that Govornmont had indicated that it

would be proparod to give such guarantees.

an

Aftor listing a number of reasons why he thought thoro was 11

olomont of falso analogy botwoon this proposal and Export Crodit Insurance, #7 ho said his viow of an alternative should be the setting up of an institution

on the model of tho Hong Kong Building and Loan Agency for home mortgages, whore the Government and banks would subscribo togothor or sot up a fund

for nodium-tor loans of a kind a bank acting by itself might hositato to grant.

No Decision For Six Months ·

On whothor a decision on the proposal for an underground railway

could be made before the close of the financial ycar, he said:

"Tho further report of the consultants is undor study but it seems

to me unlikely that any decision on a schome of such magnitudo could bo mado within tho next six months except porhaps a nogativo ono.

If I may spoak for myself, my own conclusion from roading the roport is that it provos conclusivoly that, ovon if tho necossary capital wore availablo, tho schono would not bo oconomically viable by quito a wide margin. Furthermoro, it will have to bo looked at in the light of competition for availablo funds from such other major noods as wator, housing and roads for all of which a formidable amount of money is required.”

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