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CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET
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that any contribution should be made very quickly after the event and that it should be made in the form of a payment into our Community Relief Trust Fund. It would not be necessary for such a payment to be very large, I think.
The Services did indeed give us splendid assistance in the typhoon and the clearing up
activities just after it, for which I have expressed our thanks in a letter to the CBF. It so happens that some months ago the Services were considering how they could best prepare themselves to act speedily in giving practical assistance in civil disasters in order to forestall similar activities by the communists. As they have personnel on duty at all times they are particularly well placed to take very early action indeed. They came up with a proposal that they should stockpile "packs of blankets, dry rations and the like which could be distributed immediately in case of need. The idea is that the very modest costs involved should be shared by the UK and HK governments, and CBF sought MOD approval for this in June. If you feel able to lend your support to the scheme, we should be most grateful.
Merely for information, since my telegram 598 of the 24th August, the assessment of the damage made in paragraph (d) thereof has substantially increased. As at Tuesday August 31st, the actual amount dispersed in cash or kind by the Hong Kong Government, for relief, had risen to 31⁄2 million Hong Kong dollars and commitments, under the same head, amounting to a further 2 million Hong Kong dollars had been entered into. The total cost to the taxpayer, when the cost of repairs to Government property is taken into account, cannot be put at less than 20 million Hong Kong dollars.
Yours ever
David.
CONFIDENTIAL
COVERING SECRET
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