TNAG-0565-FCO40-660-Construction-of-an-underground-railway-system-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 31

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24 OCT1975

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TO IMMEDIATE F C O TELEGRAM NO 1063 OF 24 OCTOBER INFO PRIORITY

HONG KONG GOVERNMENT OFFICE LONDON.

YOUR TELEGRAM NO 802: PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION BY MR KENNETH

CLARKE.

SUGGESTED REPLY ON QUESTION ABOUT MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY:

BEGINS:

''THREE INTERNATIONAL CONCERNS WERE ASKED BY THE HONG KONG MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY CORPORATION IN HONG KONG TO MOBILISE IN READINESS TO START WORK ON THE FIRST THREE INTERNATIONAL CONSTRUCTION CONTRACTS FOR THE RAILWAY.

NONE OF THESE CONCERNS IS BRITISH. NO. BRITISH CONSTRUCTION FIRM OR GROUP WAS AMONG THE 21 INTERNATIONAL CONCERNS THAT SOUGHT EARLY PRE-QUALIFICATION FOR THESE CONTRACTS. LATER HOWEVER ONE BRITISH FIRM ENTERED ITS NAME, WAS PRE-QUALIFIED AND INVITED TO TENDER. THE FIRM TENDERED BUT DID NOT SECURE A CONTRACT.''

ENDS

F C O PLEASE PASS COPY TO HONG KONG GOVERNMENT LONDON OFFICE.

MACLEHOSE

FILES

HKIOD

PARLY UNIT

PS/LORD GORONWY-ROBERTS

COPIES TO:

HONG KONG GOVT OFFICE 6, GRAFTON ST, W1

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