TNAG-0357-FCO40-393-Registration-of-merchant-shipping-in-Hong-Kong-1972 — Page 23

CONFIDENTIAL

Mr Goodfellow

HK & IOD

Reference

56

HONG KONG

REGISTER OF SHIPPING

I find that the DTI brief expresses doubts which I share and which would doubtless be echoed by the ITF and the Merchant Navy Officers' Associations in this country. Though paragraph 5 of your letter at folio 54 is reassuring and detailed answers to the questionnaire have yet to be provided, the real questions in my mind

are:

(i)

(ii)

is Y K Pao aiming at a reduction in costs and, if so

can this be achieved without a lowering of standards both in manning scales and construc- tion and safety equipment standards?

2. The ITF and Merchant Navy Officers' Associations would also need to be reassured that adequate and qual- ified staff were available in Hong Kong to enforce the prescribed standards. Paragraph 4 of your letter to Mrs Wicks indicates the extent and implications of this problem and I would hope Mr Fletcher's considered com- ments which are to follow will indicate whether the dif-

I also wonder if it is possible

ficulties can be solved,

it of

to tackle entirely separately the two questions of a register and of officer manning: but possibly Mrs Wicks will be replying to this point.

15. Furst

7 September 1972

HR G Hurst

Deputy Overseas Labour Adviser

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY Ma $1 14 SEP 1972

HKK 212

CONFIDENTIAL

DD 737719 557664 500M 2/71 GM 3643/2