CODE
18-77
Reference
18
Mr Stickels
With reference to the preceding minutes, I have now spoken to Mr O'Keefe and he would be quite happy with the solution proposed by Mr Mathieson as an interim measure, viz, that his department should draw up to £50,000 for the acquisition of additional books
Would you, and micro film while we are sorting this business out. therefore, please write to Mr O'Keefe giving him the necessary authority? The letter should explain that this would be without prejudice to our consideration of the main proposal.
Once that has been done, the papers should be passed to Investment and Consultancies Department and I should be grateful if Mr Ridgwell or Mr White could then have a word with me about Mr O'Keefe's submission. I find the views attributed to the Projects Committee secretariat at 'X' of Mr O'Keefe's minute of 20 August difficult to reconcile with those attributed to them at 'Y'. Although I want to stick to the rules, I should certainly like to get this matter disposed of without any unduly elaborate additional work being done on the paper for the Projects Committee, and certainly without another visit by the technical education Adviser if this can be avoided. While I agree that this is not a project which we, in the ODM, would ever have recommended Ministers to accept, and while I further agree that a fortiori it could hardly be reconciled with present Ministerial policies if we were considering it de novo, I think we must take account of the fact that it arises out of
I should also like Ministerial commitments already entered into. to know what was the object of the policy to which Mr White draws attention in the first paragraph of his minute of 22 April that equipment financed from technical assistance funds should only be given if it is associated with experts. Hong Kong scarcely need the experts, but their needs in this respect are much the same today as they were in 1972 when our original undertaking was given by Ministers. If we disregarded this proviso then, then prima facie, we cannot insist upon it now.
All these, however, are matters which I can discuss once your letter or minute has issued to Mr O'Keefe. After that I will ask Mr Burr to look into this matter.
Xw
D Williams
1 September 1975
7. Risigwell
You
will
remember
a
дам
this Hong Kong project
Please
мико
talking
ago.
about
abous especially
hana.
2
to Mr. O'Keeffe cavening the paint at
a
menute
X
is
now being typed.
P.D. Stickels
319
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