TNAG-0642-FCO40-790-Kowloon-Walled-City-and-aircraft-safety-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 89

布政司署

CONFIDENTIAL

香港下亞厘畢道

* OUR REF.: CR 6/662/68 II

* Your Ref.:

J A B Stewart Esq OBE

Hong Kong Department F CO

Dear John,

KOWLOON WALLED CITY AND AIRCRAFT SAFETY

C.S. 41A

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

Jolle

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

5 March, 1977

Ry

Ċ

RECEND IN RE: No. 01

11 MAR 1977

Вель

ic M/N ONN FEA

it

Miss Watson ME-1

enter and wesubmit

HKK 183

RF

Thank you for your letter of 14 February about the Walled City.

2.

I hope that there is no misunderstanding about the seriousness with which we approach the manifold problems of the Walled City. No one here wants an air traffic accident at Kai Tak, and I agree with the thrust of Richard Samuel's comment about the current mutuality of the interest on the Chinese and British sides.

3.

On the practical aspects, however, you should know that our civil aviation people are not over-alarmed at the risk of the over-height buildings even though they constitute a technical infringement of ICA O regulations. As soon as the Civil Aviation Department found out about the excess height, they issued a standard Notice to Airmen drawing attention to the existence of these buildings. This has not so far led to any representations by airlines using Kai Tak. Put in conjunction with the action already taken since 1975 to prevent any new building exceeding the height limits, I hope you will agree that the Hong Kong and British governments are by no means without a reasonable line of defence, in the event of some accident arising solely from the extra feet on the buildings before we have solved the many problems.

4.

I also hasten to assure you that Michael Sze, who I believe drew Tim David's attention to this problem, has finally completed his recommendations for further action and I enclose a copy of his report for your personal confidential information. As Tim may have told you, it was agreed at a Governor's Security Committee meeting in September that a Working Party should be set up to examine

/contd......

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CONFIDENTIAL

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