9735
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Sir LVonson
1. I think you may like to be reminded of the situation about Kai Tak and its safety equipment. My interest in this was stimu- lated by the cutting which I saw recently and which is behind Mr. Laird's minute.
His minute is correct in saying that the idea
of a subvention for the building of Kai Tak Airport fell to the ground when Lord Shepherd refused to sign the letter to Mr. Taverne at Flag D. Since then I think all concerned have agreed that this is an issue which can be let drop.
2. The submission to Lord Shepherd, however, also deals with the possibility of a C.D. and W. grant for the safety equipment at Kai Tak. We warned the Governor that he would prejudice his case for C.D. and W. funds by buying Italian. To this extent when he let the first contract go he may have recognised that there was no use in pursing the matter of the grant. However, when we were in Hong Kong in October at the meeting in Government House Sir J. Cowperthwaite at one moment mumbled that we had never given a reply about safety equipment. It seems from the papers that this is true, but in the present climate of Whitehall towards Hong Kong I see no possibility whatsoever in getting grants if he persists in buying Italian equipment. For this reason I see no need to revert to this matter further with the Hong Kong Government.
Kun hitfor
M Wilford
Let the
I'm dig
11 February 1971
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En 19
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