TNAG-0638-FCO40-786-Supplies-of-electricity-for-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 150

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

PP HONG KONG

GR 420

HKK 64 ||

1

W Questill

'234

TRED (2) BID

PUSD (2)

129

CYPHER/CAT A

FM D T 1 08153AZ

CONFIDENTIAL

No of

TO PRIORITY BTC HONG KONG TELNO CREDA 339 OF 8 NOVEMBER.

YOUR CREDA 252: POWER STATION PROJECT.

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CLP/PEPCO NOW APPEAR TO BE RAISING WITH YOU MATTERS THAT

YOU SHOULD HAVE LITTLE DIFFICULTY IN REBUTTING ROBUSTLY.

IT MAY

BE RELEVANT THAT WE HAVE HAD VERY CONFIDENTIAL HINT THAT ELECTRO-

WATT VIEW IS DISTINCTLY FAVOURABLE TO US. THIS COULD OF COURSE

CHANGE BY TIME REPORT IS COMPLETED BUT IT IS POSSIBLE THAT CLP/

PEPCO SENSE THEY ARE IN SOME TACTICAL DIFFICULTY AND ARE CASTING

AROUND FOR OTHER ISSUES WITH WHICH TO TEST OUR POSITION.

2.

ON SPECIFIC POINTS MENTIONED BY SIR LAWRENCE KADOORIE:

236

(A) IS NOT RELEVANT. OUR FORMAL FINANCIAL PROPOSALS SPECIFI-

CALLY CATERED FOR POSSIBILITY OF EXCHANGE RATE CHANGES. THAT

IS WHY WE INCLUDED QUOTE ALTERNATIVE ONE UNQUOTE LOANS

DENOMINATED IN HONG KONG DOLLARS WITH US DOLLAR CONTRACT PRICE. ARRANGEMENTS FOR THIS HAS BEEN EXPLAINED IN DETAIL BY GEMMILL TO DEWE MATTHEWS (SCHRODER WAGG).

(B) IS A MATTER ON WHICH HMG'S VIEWS ARE WELL KNOWN. WE REMAIN HOPEFUL THAT CLP/PEPCO WILL NEVERTHELESS RECOGNISE THE

ATTRACTIONS OF THE BRITISH PACKAGE.

AS FOR (C), SHIPBUILDING INTERVEOEION FUND WAS SET UP TO DEAL

WITH CRISIS IN SHIPBUILDING INDUSTRY WHICH DEVELOPED AS RESULT

OF SEVERE OVER CAPACITY THROUGHOUT WORLD. OTHER COUNTRIES HAVE

ALSO ACTED TO ALLEVIATE PORBLEM BY INTRODUCING SPECIAL SCHEMES TO

HELP INDIGENOUS INDUSTRIES. IN UK THE DIFFICULTY IS EXACERBATED

BY CONCENTRATION OF SHIPBULDING IN AREAS OF HIGH UNEMPLOYMENT

WHERE ALTERNATIVE JOB PROPSPECTS ARE VERY SLIGHT AND BY FACT

THAT SHIPBUILDERS DO NOT HAVE RESOURCES TO SĒRVIVE WITHOUT

ASSISTANCE. THE UK POWER PLANT INDUSTRY IS NOT FACING THE SAME

DEGREE OF DIFFICULTY.

LINE TO TAKE WITH CLP/PEPCO IS THAT WHAT HMG DOES FOR SHIPS

SHOULD NOT REPEAT NOT BE TAKEN AS APPLYING TO BRITISH EXPORTS

GENERALLY. WE DO NOT CONSIDER CIRCUMSTANCES ARE SIMILAR. LIPPITT

EMPHASISED IN HONG KONG THAT HMG HAD SOUGHT TO SATISFY ITSELF

THAT THE BRITISH PACKAGE WAS COMPETITIVE. HE ALSO STRESSED THAT HMG WAS NOT REPEAT NOT PREPARED TO GO FURTHER ON PRICE OF CLP/

PEPCO PACKAGE.

ON SEPARATE MATTER, WE WISH TO PREPARE PROPOSALS FOR NEW

TERRITORIES TRANSMISSION SYSTEM ON MAINLAND. SO THAT WE CAN

PREVARE BUDGETARY PROPOSALS WOULD YOU PLEASE ASK SIR LAWRENCE

KADOORIE TO SUPPLY URGNELTY COPY OF CLP'S DEVELOPMENT PLAN.

MUST BASE OUR PROPOSALS ON THIS

MACDONALD 102.

WE

NNNN

Page 150Page 151

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