TNAG-0423-FCO40-469-Construction-of-an-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 160

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OVERSEAS FINANCE AND PLANNING DEPARTMENT

DEPARTMENT OF TRADE AND INDUSTRY

1 VICTORIA STREET

LONDON SWI

01-222 7877

Ext: 3649

13 April 1973

K W Cotterill Esq

Export Credits Guarantee Department

Aldermanbury House

Aldermanbury

LONDON EC2

Ni

HONG KONG MASS TRANSIT SYSTEM

2

M. Goodfellow then PIA I agreed this

M G-S.

des 18140

16.TV

with

Thank you for your letter of 5 April, and

or your notes of the

meetings held in Hong Kong over 19/20 March, for which I was grateful.

We spoke about the suggestion in the last paragraph of your letter that there should be a single point in London for all cables. I agree that we should try to do this as far as possible, and I think that it would be right for OPG (specifically Les Watson) to do it as part of OPG's continuing co-ordinating role in relation to this project. In particular, he would answer all questions about HMG's general attitude towards alternative groupings to the all-British Group.

We should not, however, have an inflexible rule, as there will be occasions when another Department should answer. If, for example, a cable refers exclusively to the responsibilities of ECGD, then it would obviously make sense for ECGD to answer it, after any necessary consultation.

I think you agreed with this.

F W GLAVES-SMITH

cc. A C Stuart Esq

D M Kerr Esq

G F Finlayson Esq R Jones Esq

AL Ryan Esq

Miss C Welch

P Homan Esq

T W Aston Esq CMG

C

FCO (HK & IOD) FCO FP & AD) FCO (EPD)

HM Treasury

Bank of England

DTI CRE2

DTI MME

Hong Kong