TNAG-0863-FCO40-1073-Involvement-of-Hong-Kong-in-air-services-agreements-1979 — Page 27

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10 APR 1979

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FM CANBERRA 090735Z APR 79

TO IMMEDIATE FCO

TELEGRAM NUMBER 198 OF 9 APRIL 1979

INFO SAVING HONG KONG (GOV AND BCARFE), BANGKOK, KUALA LUMPUR, SINGAPORE, MANILA, JAKARTA AND WELLINGTON. (ACTIONED)

YOUR TELEGRAM NO 126: UK/AUSTRALIA AIR SERVICES,

1. DUDGEON HAS SPOKEN TO HALTON, SECRETARY OF DEPARTMENT OF TRANS- PORT. HALTON SEEMED TO THINK THAT THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION IN THE FIGURES QUOTED IN YOUR PARAGRAPH 1 BETWEEN ACTUAL FREQUENCIES AND CAPACITY CALCULATED AS 747 EQUIVALENTS. HE CERTAINLY GAVE A FIRM ASSURANCE THAT AUSTRALIAN CONCERN ON POINT RAISED IN PARAGRAPH 2 OF TUR WAS EVERY BIT AS SERIOUS AS OUR OWN AND THAT THEY WERE DETERMINED TO PREVENT SUCH A SITUATION FROM ARISING.

2. DUDGEON THEN PUT SUGGESTION IN PARAGRAPH 4 OF TUR. HALTON REPLIED AT ONCE THAT, GIVEN THE POSTPONEMENT OF THE AUSTRALIAN/ASEAN MEETING HE HAD HIMSELF BEEN THINKING THAT A VISIT TO LONDON BY ROWLAND SOON

AFTER EASTER WOULD BE VALUABLE. HE HAS UNDERTAKEN TO GIVE US A DEFINITE RESPONSE TO OUR REQUEST BEFORE THE EASTER BREAK.

TEBBIT

FILES:

MAED

MR CORTAZZI MR MURRAY

[COPIES SENT TO CAD/DOT]

SEAD

SPD

H K & G D

MISS BROWN

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