CONFIDENTIAL
21/8
Miss C H Welch
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24 August 1972 will G.
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Department of Trade and Industry
1 Victoria Street
London SW1
27
8
During my briefing in London before coming out to take up this post, Rigby in the Civil Aviation Division, expressed and interest in being kept informed of developments in respect of the various instrumentation and extension pro- jects for the airport in Hong Kong.
2. I took the opportunity of my introductory call on ar
Thomson (Director of Civil Aviation) on 28 July, to do a roundup of this field with him. I enclose a copy of
the note which I made at the time of that conversation. As you will see, it stretches rather wider than the immediate export opportunities; in particular it includes some confidential personal remarks made by Mr Thomson about the attitude of the Finan cial Secretary/exchange of views which we had (without briefing on either side) about some of the wider implications of the airport feasibility study. It is for this reason that I have graded the report Restricted and UK Eyes Only" and I should be grateful if you, and the other recipients of it, would ensure that the confidence in it is not breached. I have delayed reporting this conversation, or any parts of it, until now because I had hoped to be able to get some further information, or opinions on some of the points in it; but in the event this has not proved possible except for the PS about the ILS, which I have put at the foot of the record.
3.
4
I am prompted to send it to you now, partly because it is high time that I did, and partly bęçguse kr Thomson is leaving today for the Commonwealth Transport meeting, and I thought that you and the Civil Aviation Division in particular (and also Hong Kong Department) should be aware of the line he took with me (and I took with him) before there might be any private discussion with him in the "ante-room" of the CATC meeting.
The point to which I would particularly draw attention, because it is I think the one which might particularly need discussion with him (and perhaps also with the Governor while he is still in London on leave), is that of the survey Study. As you will see from my note, the high probability is that, on the basis of technical capability alone, one of the American consultants will be chosen to undertake this
/feasibility
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.