Sir L Monson
CONFIDENTIAL
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Hong Kong Undung.noud
1. I have discussed the Governor's letter to you of 30 April with Mr Toms of DTI. He agreed with me that all the FCO could do at the moment was to send copies of the Governor's letter to those who received copies of your letter to the Governor (enclosures 14 and 15 in this file). We both thought however that it would be best if the Governor's letter were shown to Mr Blackwell when he was home on leave next month. This means that copies of the letter would be sent to all those except Mr Blackwell listed in paragraph 8 of my letter to Mr Hawkins of 1 February.
2. It is quite clear that there will be no early decision on this in Hong Kong. The DTI are in close touch with all those at this end who are interested in the project and they are playing the hand very carefully - and, in my view, sensibly.
3. I doubt if it is necessary to send a reply to Sir D Trench's letter of 30 April. He will be here in a few weeks and you could perhaps thank him for his letter when you see him then.
13 May 1971
Erania aña
E O Laird
Hong Kong Department
MR LAIRD
1.
I agree with action proposed in paragraphs 1 and 3 of your minute.
2.
In view however of Mr Royle's interest in this matter and that of the PUS I think that we ought to submit so that they can be aware of the present position. This can be done fairly shortly by attaching the previous submissions. 3.
The last paragraph of the Governor's letter, does as Mr Lambert says touch on a policy point in two senses:
(i) the tendering policy of the Hong Kong Government on which from paragraph 2 of my own minute of the 26 January I assumed the DTI are in agreement with the Governor's approach, and
(ii) on a more general point of policy as to how far
/we
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