TNAG-0420-FCO40-466-Registration-of-merchant-shipping-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 75

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ho do not hold British certificates.

Accordingly, the Hong Kong

Government themselves suggested that a team should go out from

here in the Autumn to interview some of the Officers concerned,

see something of the type-testing arrangements in Japanese yards

(which would be helpful in the U.K. context as well) and prepare,

with their administration, memoranda for guidance on the new

arrangements. In view of the need to ensure that high standards

are maintained, I believe that this is a wise move and that we

might not to be irrevocably committed until this has been done

so little is known at present about the standards adopted by many

of the Hong Kong shipowners, particularly the smaller ones.

#

Meanwhile, our discussions with the seafaring unions here have not

been assisted by leaks in the Hong Kong press, which refer to

YK Pau's contacts with the Prime Minister, and which have been

taken up by Lloyd's List sce enclosed press cuttings which in

the case of the Lloyd's 1st cutting, illustrate the strength-of::

feeling by the General Secretary of the Merchant Navy & Airline

Officers' Association. My Minister is considering the timing of

a public announcement in the light of those press reports, the

meetings with both sides of the industry, and the views of the

Hong Kong Government, and I would expect us to be in a position

to make one this month; but as I have said, we do not believe that

this should go beyong an agreement in principle at this stage.

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