CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO IMMEDIATE FCO
TELNO 3729
OF 10024OZ NOVEMBER 89
CONFIDENTIAL
HKCB
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167
165704
MDHIAN 3868
OUR TELNO 3695: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: UK FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE
WE HAVE COMPLETED OUR ASSESSMENT OF THE DEVELOPMENT POTENTIAL OF HEI LING CHAU, BUT HAVE CONCLUDED THAT ON BALANCE WE SHOULD STAY WITH OUR ORIGINAL PROPOSAL FOR DEVELOPING TAI A CHAU. THE FULL SCHEDULE OF COSTS FOLLOWS BY FAX.
2. ALTHOUGH IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO CONSTRUCT ACCOMMODATION FOR UP TO 20,000 VBP ON HEI LING CHAU AT A COST OF HKD 290 MILLION, IT WOULD ENTAIL BUILDING ON TWO SITES AND REPROVISIONING AN EXISTING CSD INSTITUTION. THE POTENTIAL SAVINGS WOULD ALSO BE OFFSET BY OTHER FACTORS:
(A) THE POTENTIAL FOR EXPANSION AT HEI LING CHAU IS LIMITED
WHEREAS IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO FORM ANOTHER SITE AT TAI A CHAÚ WHICH WOULD ENABLE US TO PROVIDE ACCOMMODATION FOR A FURTHER 10,000 VBP SHOULD THE NEED ARISE:
(B)
(DC)
3.
THE SITE CONSTRAINTS AT HEI LING CHAU WILL MAKE THE CAMP VERY CRAMPED AND IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO PROVIDE ADEQUATE RECREATION SPACE:
THE BEACHES AND HILLS AT TAI A CHAU CAN BE USED AS RECREATION AREAS FOR THE INMATES, PARTICULARLY THE CHILDREN. THIS WOULD BE IMPORTANT IN THE EVENT OF LONG OCCUPANCY. IT WOULD BE DIFFICULT TO OPERATE A SIMILAR ARRANGEMENT ON HEI LING BECAUSE THERE THREE OTHER CSD INSTITUTIONS ON THE
ISLAND.
WHEN THESE FACTORS ARE TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT WE BELIEVE THAT THE ADVANTAGE LIES WITH THE TAI A CHAU PROJECT. THE HEI LING CHAU PROPOSAL EMERGED LATE IN THE DAY BUT THE EVALUATION EXERCISE HAS BEEN WORTHWHILE. WE SHALL CONTINUE WITH THE ASSESSMENT WORK AS A CONTINGENCY MEASURE BUT WE SHOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD COMPLETE YOUR SUBMISSION TO MINISTERS ON THE BASIS OF THE
TAI A CHAU SCHEME.
PAGE 1 CONFIDENTIAL
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