TNAG-0532-FCO40-627-Conservation-of-wildlife-in-Hong-Kong-1976 — Page 96

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1

DT E Roberts Esq CBE QC

Colonial Secretary HONG KONG

LAGT

Telephone 01-

Your reference

Our reference

Date

12 May 1975

12

Dead Denys,

MAI PO MARSHES

MEXT

REI.

(15)

I am sorry to return to the question of nature conservancy and the Mai Po Marshes but, while your telegram no. 351 of 12 April would give enquirers here adequate reassurance about the housing development, I am not clear whether we have enough material to answer them on the subject of making the Marshes themselves a nature reserve.

1.

2. The problem is that, at least in this country, it does not follow that` declaration of a nature reserve results in pressure on the Government to acquire the land. As you will appreciate, under the various Town and Country Planning Acts, the reservation of land for various purposes is quite standard and we cannot answer the critics by implying that declaration of a nature reserve does put a financial obligation on the Government to purchase the land.

3. I wonder, therefore, if you have any material on this to use as ammunition in this matter?

Your

ever

haccuence

PL O'Keeffe

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.

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b.v.

3 /wks.

now see

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