TNAG-0426-FCO40-472-Construction-of-an-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1973 — Page 66

For discussion on 31st July 1973

SECRET

ANNEX A TO XCS(73)12,

XCS(73)8 Copy No.

MEMORANDUM FOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

ARRANGEMENTS TO BE ADOPTED FOR THE

CONSTRUCTION AND EQUIPMENT OF THE

MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY

12

Introduction

On 11th April and 23rd May 1972, after considering memoranda XCC(72)27 and XCC(72)37 respectively, Honourable Members advised and the Governor ordered, inter alia, that:

(a)

(b)

subject to satisfactory arrangements being made for financing the project and for letting contracts, the construction of the full Mass Transit Railway as proposed by the Consultants be approved in principle; and

a steering group be established to submit proposals on the best methods of financing, tendering for, and of organising the institutional arrangements for controlling, the Mass Transit Railway, and to advise in particular on the amount which would have to be provided from public funds in order to attract sufficient private capital to enable the project to be undertaken.

A

2

Pursuant to paragraph 1(b) above, the Mass Transit Steering Group submitted its recommendations in memorandum XCC(73)10 (copy without annexes at Annex A) which was considered by the Council on 13th February 1973. Honourable Members advised and the Governor ordered that, subject where appropriate to the provision of the necessary funds by the Finance Committee of the Legislative Council:

(a)

(b)

(c)

(d)

the decision in principle to proceed with the construction of the full Mass Transit Railway as proposed by the Consultants should be publicly confirmed;

a firm decision should be taken to proceed as soon as possible with the construction of the first four stages;

further consultations should be entered into with the consortia listed in paragraph 14(b) of the memorandum;

the Consulting Engineers should continue to be employed, with broadly their then existing terms of reference, on a month-to-month basis, pending a final decision on the contractual arrangements to be adopted for constructing and equipping the Mass Transit Railway;

SECRET