TNAG-0425-FCO40-471-Construction-of-an-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 111

GRPS 463

MMEDIATE

CYPHER/CAT A

FM HONG KONG 191200Z

SECRET

SECRET

+

775 1

1HKR 21/4

TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELNO 1323 OF 19TH NOVEMBER, 1973.

M.I.P.T.

тор

201

PA

FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF REPLY ~

BEGINS.

NOF

PLEASE REFER TO YOUR LETTER DATED 15TH NOVEMBER, 1973, THE RECEIPT OF WHICH IS HEREBY ACKNOWLEDGED.

2. THE MASS TRANSIT STEERING GROUP HAS TAKEN NOTE OF THE

1 3-x11

FORMATION AND COMPOSITION OF THE ANGLO ITALIAN GROUP AND HAS NO OBJECTION TO THE MERGER. THE STEERING GROUP ASSUMES THAT, WITH THE FORMATION OF THE ANGLO-ITALIAN GROUP, BOTH THE BRITISH GROUP (AS ORIGINALLY INSTITUTED) AND 1.M. INTERMETRO S.P.A. HAVE CEASED. TO BE INDIVIDUAL COMPETITORS FOR THE MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CONTRACT. IN OTHER WORDS, THE STEERING GROUP ASSUMES THAT THE NUMBER OF COMPETING CONSORTIA HAS BEEN REDUCED TO THREE RATHER THAN INCREASED TO FIVE, I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR CONFIRMATION THAT THE STEERING GROUP'S ASSUMPTION IS CORRECT. IF IT IS, I SHOULD APPRECIATE BEING INFORMED OF THE OFFICIAL CHANNEL OF COMMUNICATION BETWEEN THE ANGLO-ITALIAN GROUP AND THE MASS TRANSIT STEERING

GROUP AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

30 AS REGARDS THE OTHER POINTS RAISED IN YOUR LETTER, THE STEERING GROUP IS NOT CLEAR WHETHER OR NOT THESE ARE MEANT TO BE REGARDED AS FORMING TOGETHER A COUNTER-BID FOR THE PURPOSE OF THE SUPPLEMENTARY PROCEDURE REFERRED TO IN PARAGRAPH 5 OF MY LETTER DATED 18TH OCTOBER, 1973. IF SO, I MUST POINT OUT THAT IN ORDER TO BE EVALUATED IN RELATION TO THE PRE-EMPTIVE BID, ANY COUNTER BID MUST BE SPECIFIC IN TERMS OF THE GOVERNMENT'S REQUIREMENTS AND MUST BE RECEIVED ON OR BEFORE 2ND DECEMBER, 1973. IT SEEMS TO THE

CEORET

/STEERING

派