TNAG-0461-FCO40-526-Exchange-of-newsletters-between-Foreign-and-Commonwealth-Off-1974 — Page 40

CONFIDENTIAL

Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1

Telephone 01-

RECFIT IN

REGI

14 JAN 1974

61

HKK 6/5+8/5-

TW Aston Esq CMG

Senior British Trade Commissioner HONG KONG

Your reference

Our reference

HKK 6/548/5

Date

PA

11 January 1974

Dear Tom,

MONTHLY NEWS LETTER

1.

14. €

I aim to start the New Year well by sending off this letter early in the month. It comes with all good wishes to 'you and your staff for a happy and successful 1974.

2.

!

I shall not aim to make this an end-of-the-year round-up, as in a sense my last letter performed this function. But I think I must begin this letter by a reference to the very considerable disappointment we shared with you over ExCo's decision to negotiate with the Japanese over the underground. I do not intend to rake over the ashes but the decision was keenly felt here, and I know for you, after so much personal endeavour it must have been a particularly heavy blow.

3.

On

Together with the oil difficulties, coupled here with an energy crisis of major proportions, the decision on the underground brought the year to a gloomy end, both literally and metaphorically. In London, we are beset by difficulties. You will know that a three- day week is a rule which extends to Government offices. In our case the Central Electricity Generating Board have allocated to us Thursday-Saturday as days on which we may use electricity for lighting. To maintain uniformity and to keep in step with Parliament we continue to work from Monday-Friday. This means that for three days of the week we have no lighting and it is effectively dark by 4 o'clock. these days we aim to begin work at 8.30 but this is not always possible in view of the pretty crippling industrial action on the railways. The suburban commuter services are now this week virtually non-existent and there is increased pressure on other means of transport. The energy crisis also brought with it a ban on extended working hours. apart from work arising from the current crises. As you will realise we are having to put a quart of work into a pint of time. The prospects for the next few weeks do not look cheerful. Chief Clerk has written, we remain in good heart.

But as the

>

CONFIDENTIAL

/4.

...