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BUT COULD ACCURATELY BE PRESENTED AS THE PROVISION OF EMERGENCY RELIEF SINCE THE NEW ACCOMMODATION WOULD MAKE CONDITIONS MORE TOLERABLE FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE MOVED OUT OF THE TEMPORARY RECEPTION CENTRES SET UP IN THE INTERIM.
(C)
HMG WOULD MEET THE COST OF A SUBSTANDARD AND MAKESHIFT WHITEHEAD (PARA (D) OF MY TELNO 1073 REFERS). THIS WOULD INVOLVE A CONTRIBUTION OF APPROX HK DOLLARS 40 MILLION. FOR THE REASONS INDICATED IN MY TELNO 1072, THIS OPTION COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME WITHOUT FURTHER SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS AND IS THEREFORE NOT (NOT) RECOMMENDED.
3. ANY OF THESE OPTIONS WOULD, IN MY JUDGMENT, RECONCILE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO THE AUTHORISATION OF FURTHER FUNDS BY HONG KONG AND WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL EFFECT IN REVIVING CONFIDENCE HERE IN HMG'S GENERAL COMMITMENT TO ASSISTING HONG KONG TO RESOLVE ITS CURRENT VBP PROBLEM. ON THE OTHER HAND, WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT GESTURE BY HMG THERE IS A VERY STRONG LIKELIHOOD THAT FINANCE COMMITTEE WOULD REFUSE TO VOTE ADDITIONAL FUNDS OR WOULD AT ANY RATE BLOCK FURTHER WORK ON WHITEHEAD.
4. I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR A REPLY BY THE END OF THIS WEEK IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, AS WE SHALL NEED TO FINALISE OUR OWN FINANCIAL PLANS VERY QUICKLY. I AM ANTICIPATING THAT WE SHALL NEED TO SUBMIT OUR FUNDING PROPOSALS TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING ON 26 APRIL.
5.
MY FIRST IFT CONTAINS A BREAKDOWN OF COST ESTIMATES FOR TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION AND WHITEHEAD STAGES 3 AND 4. MY SECOND IFT CONTAINS INFORMATION REQUESTED IN PARA 4 OF YOUR TELNO
789.
WILSON
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.VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK
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PS/MR PATTEN ODA
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