TNAG-0419-FCO40-465-Registration-of-merchant-shipping-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 40

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For all these reasons we would urge that you reconsider the suggestion of creating a separate Hong Kong Register most carefully. We believe that, in the form proposed, it would be of disadvantage to U.K. owners, and quite possibly to the worldwide standing of the United Kingdom in maritime affairs. Should you, despite our representations, feel that it is necessary to proceed with the scheme, we would ask that you adapt it to protect the interests of U.K. owners by providing that -

i) There should be exchanges of surveyors and survey

arrangements between the U.K. and Hong Kong.

ii) Any relaxations granted by the Hong Kong Director

of Marine in respect of the acceptance of standards of safety and equipment set and approved by other national administrations, should be available to British owners wishing to bring new or secondhand vessels on to the U.K. Register.

(iii) Access to the Hong Kong Register should be open

to any company with its principal place of business in the United Kingdom as well as Hong Kong.

(iv) The Hong Kong Government should have the same power to restrict the trading of vessels on the Hong Kong Register as the U.K. Government has in respect of the U.K. Register.

(vi)

The same flexibility of manning as is granted to vessels on the Hong Kong Register should be available to vessels on the U.K. Register.

Any change is phased over a period of, say, five years to allow primarily for the training of the necessary additional Hong Kong seamen.

We are, of course, at your disposal to discuss these problems with you further should you so wish; in any case we look forward to hearing from you how your ideas are developing.

Yours sincerely,