HISTORY OF THE PROPOSAL FOR A SEPARATE AUTONOMOUS HONG KONG REGISTER
1 Sir (then Mr) Y K Pao, supported by some other local ship owners, first made the proposal to the Hong Kong Government for an autonomous Hong Kong Register in 1971. The Hong Kong Government supported the proposal and it was presented to the United Kingdom as a proposal for a register of shipping separate from the British register. However the real issue was considered to be the desire of certain local ship owners to be allowed to register ships with different manning and equipment standards from those required for the British registry.
2 Sir Y K Pao, supported by the Hong Kong Government, successfully lobbied HMG and obtained the then Prime Minister's acceptance that the proposal should be studied in depth. The Foreign and Commonwealth Office were sympathetic as they saw in this issue a possible opportunity to be helpful to the Hong Kong Government at a time when relations between the two Governments were considered by HMG to be less than satisfactory.
3
Negotiations proceeded between the two Governments under an explicit agreement that there was no question of establishing a flag of convenience facility in Hong Kong and that there was to be no lowering of safety standards for ships registered there. Any variations from the requirements for British registered ships generally which might be agreed would reflect the local conditions in Hong Kong relating to both the available per sonnel and the types of material and equipment available. Finally it was understood that, if any variations of conditions for registration were introduced, then the Hong Kong ship owners would place a specified amount of shipping on the new registry.
4
Serious negotiations took place throughout 1973 culminating in draft heads of agreement in principle and a visit to the Crown Colony by a team led by Dr Cowley, the Deputy Engineer Surveyor in Chief.
5 Most attention concentrated on the manning issue and this issue totally occupied the minds of the Unions. As already indicated in the main brief, United Kingdom law requires the master, first mate and chief engineer to hold appropriate UK or Commonwealth certificates and to be British subjects. It further requires the second mate and the second engineer to hold appropriate UK
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