GRS 450
CONFIDENT HAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 2441
OF 28094OZ JUYY 85
CONFIDENTIAL
Hlas 160/
363
27 JUL 986
INFO IMMEDIATE PARIS, PEKING, DT, DEPARTMENT OF
NERGY
TOP COPY Q DIST ?
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CHINA: NUCLEAR SAFETY
PERSONAL FOR WILSON, ASSISTANT UNDER SECRETARY
FROM AKERS-JONES
YOU WILL APPRECIATE THAT THE OBSERVER ARTICLE ON THE HARWELL CONSULTANCY AND IN PARTICULAR TODAY'S HONG KONG STANDARD LEAD STORY (ALREADY FAXED TO YOU) ON THE OBSERVER ARTICLE HAS CAUSED CONSIDER- ABLE CONSTERNATION HERE. WE HAVE NO IDEA HOW INTERNAL GOVERNMENT CONFIDENTIAL MEMORANDA HAVE BEEN LEAKED BUT WE ARE INVESTIGATING.
2. AS THE PRESS STORIES IMPLY THE CONSULTANCY HAS NOT, UNFORTUNATELY, GONE AS SMOOTHLY AS WE MIGHT HAVE HOPED. WE HAVE FELT THAT PHASE
OF THE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT REPORT HAS NOT BEEN DENT-RELY SATISFACTORY IN THAT IT CONTAINS LITTLE THAT IS OF PRACTICAL AND IMMEDIATE VALUE TO US IN REASSURING HONG KONG. IT IS FOR THIS REASON THAT THERE HAS BEEN A CONSIDERABLE EXCHANGE OF CORRESPONSENCE WITH WADE (OF HARWELL) IN RECENT MONTHS, THE MAIN PURPOSE OF WHICH HAS BEEN TO SEEK AMPLIFICATION AND CLARIFICATION ON A NUMBER OF ISSUES. THE SITUATION HAS BEEN EXACERBATED, OF COURSE, BY THE HIGHLY TECHNICAL NATURE OF THE INFORMATION PROVIDED BY HARWELL, OUR OWN LACK OF DETAILED EXPERTISE IN NUCLEAR MATTERS AND THE DIFFICULTIES IN DEALING WITH THESE MATTERS BY LETTER AND TELEX.
3. DURING HIS RECENT WISHT YAXLEY DISCUSSED THE CONSULTANCY WITH WADE AND OTHERS ON 16 JULY (LEYDON AND AGRELL OF DEN WERE PRESENT) AND IT WAS AGREED THAT PHASE P OF THE ACCIDENT ASSESSMENT REPORT WOULD HAVE TO BE EXPANDED SO THAT IT WOULD MEET THE RESONABLE EXPECTATIONS OF THE PEOPLE OF HONG KONG, IN PARTICULAR PHASE ***
CONFIDENTIAL
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