TNAG-1587-FCO40-2171-Future-of-Hong-Kong-British-Consulate-General-1986 — Page 54

CONFIDENTIAL

- 2

The options for accommodating the Consulate-General are therefore as follows:

3.

allocation of property at present occupied

(a)

by HMG or HKG Offices;

(b)

lease or purchase of property on the open

market;

(c) some special and/or concessionary arrangement

made before 1997 (see paras 16-19 below).

Whatever course is adopted, prior consultation with the Chinese, in the way you suggest, would be prudent.

4. At present the British Trade Commission and British Council occupy accommodation leased commercially. Apart from the US Consulate-General (which occupies a site on Garden Road granted by Private Treaty as well as renting other accommodation), all the other Consulates-General and High Commissions are in commercial premises and in the majority of cases rent rather than own their accommodation. A number of Consulates-General own houses and flats for senior members of their staff. But they also rent accommodation.

5.

It is, of course, difficult to assess the staff requirements for our future Consulate-General and, although we think your assessment may be on the high side, it would seem reasonable for planning purposes. Our Immigration Department are of the view that the work at present undertaken by its Overseas Visa Section, Passport Section and Naturalisation Section would probably have to be carried out after 1997 by the Consulate-General. These sections occupy a space of about 1800 sq.m. The implication of Richard Evans' letter of 19 December is that the Consulate-General should not, on grounds of principle, be bigger than the

CONFIDENTIAL

/Embassy.

I