Mr Williams ODM
CONFIDENTIAL
56
09
50/2),
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behand
34 Fla
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(35)
TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE GRANT FOR HONG KONG POLYTECHNIC
1. I am very concerned about the delays that have occurred in the implementation of our announced intention to supply a £0.5 million technical assistance grant for equipment for the Hong Kong Polytechnic.
2.
The background is that, following an announcement by Sir Anthony Royle in November 1972 that this grant would be made, a submission for the above project was to have been considered by the Projects Committee in September 1973. Since Ministerial approval had already been given, consideration hinged on approval of the manner in which the Hong Kong authorities proposed to use the grant, rather than the issue of the grant itself. In the event, the paper was withdrawn owing to lack of information on the future development of the Polytechnic. The paper was, however, discussed at an informal meeting of FCO/ODM officials on 1 October 1973 when it was suggested that Dr Pickard should visit Hong Kong to discuss the proposals. The Projects Committee met on 17 October 1973 and endorsed this
recommendation.
3. Dr Pickard visited Hong Kong at the end of 1973 but a revised paper has taken some considerable time to prepare mainly because Hong Kong were very slow in providing the additional information required. However a second paper was completed earlier this year and put to the Projects Committee Secretariat. They raised a number of points, of which the most important is that the project did not conform with the revised ground rules governing aid policy. It has subsequently been concluded that if the requirements of the Secretariat were to be met in full then it would be necessary completely to re-write the paper delaying its presentation by several more months. This exercise would also include another visit by a Technical Education Adviser (probably from TETOC).
CONFIDENTIAL
14.
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