TNAG-1060-FCO40-1310-Mass-Transit-Railway-in-Hong-Kong-1981 — Page 70

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the Gagar

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CONFIDENTIAL

FM B T C HONG KONG 240818Z SEP 81

TO ROUTINE DOI

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258

25 SEP 198

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دود

NODISTRIBUTION

THIS TELEGRAM

TELEGRAM NUMBER INDUS 121 OF 24 SEPTEMBER

PERSONAL FOR MANZIE DEPUTY SECRETARY,

MASS TRANSIT RAILWAY.

WAS NOT ADVANCED

19

(poi]

TRED,

See

HEGO

44

+2

1 SEE FROM MY FINANCIAL TIMES OF TUESDAY 22 SEPTEMBER THAT R A WILLFORD IS TO BECOME A DIRECTOR OF THE HAWKER SIDDELEY GROUP AND CHAIRMAN OF WESTINGHOUSE BRAKE AND SIGNAL COMPANY FROM OCTOBER 5. GIVEN NORMAN THOMPSON'S REMARKS ABOUT THE FAILURE OF BRITISH COMPANIES INCLUDING WESTINGHOUSE TO MAKE CONTACT WITH THE MTR AT BOARD LEVEL, I WONDER WHETHER WE MIGHT PERSUADE WILLFORD, WHO IS AN EX ENGLISH ELECTRIC AND GEC MAN, TO PAY AN EARLY VISIT TO HONG KONG WHERE HE COULD ALSO LOOK AT WESTINGHOUSE'S CONTRACTS WITH THE

KCR.

2. YOU MAY ALSO LIKE TO KNOW THAT THE LOCAL GRAPEVINE (I E TRIPES)

SUGGESTS THAT BIDS FOR THE CIVIL ENGINEERING CONTRACTS RECEIVED BY THE MTR ARE SUBSTANTIALLY ABOVE NORMAN THOMPSON'S BUDGET FORECASTS

AND THAT THE MTR MAY THEREFORE HAVE TO RETHINK SOME OF THEIR

PLANNING ASSUMPTIONS. THIS COULD EXPLAIN NORMAN THOMPSON'S

REFERENCES TO QUOTE OVERDESIGN BY MY ENGINEERS UNQUOTE AND HIS

INSISTENCE ON THE CANCELLATION OPTION FOR THE MET-CAM CONTRACT IN

CASE ALL DOES NOT RUN SMOOTHLY ON THE TUNNEL CONSTRUCTION SIDE.

MARCH

WNNN