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HAD ALREADY MET WITH SIR NIGEL BROACKES, CHAIRMAN OF TRAFALGER HOUSE, AND I SPELLED OUT THE MEETINGS THAT ADAMS, GOODMAN AND OTHERS HAD HAD WITH THE COMPANIES CONCERNED. I REMINDED THEM THAT HEADS HAD ROLLED AT CLEVELAND BRIDGE, AND THAT EVERY CONCEIVABLE EFFORT WAS NOW BEING MADE TO PUT THINGS TO RIGHT. ON VISITS TO THE SITE, I WAS ABLE TO SAY, HAVING JUST SEEN PEKING TELNO 87, THAT HMA WAS PROPOSING TO COME IN TEN DAYS' TIME TO VISIT THE SITE HIMSELF. STONES AND CATER WERE CLEARLY BOTH VERY RELIEVED BY THIS NEWS AND SAID THAT SUCH A VISIT SHOULD HELP CONSIDERABLY. STONES AT ONCE SAID THAT HE WOULD CLEAR HIS PROGRAMME IN ORDER TO GO WITH HMA IF
THAT WOULD BE HELPFUL.
5. BOTH CATER AND STONES WERE ALSO VERY CRITICAL OF GEC'S DESIGN FOR THE PROJECT, AND PARTICULARLY THE REQUIREMENT FOR THE 700 TON SHIELD (THE EIFFEL TOWER THEY CALLED IT) FOR THE STEAM PIPE ENTERING AT THE TOP OF THE TURBINE. THEY SAID THAT HAD THE FRENCH DESIGN BEEN FOLLOWED, AND THIS WAS SOMETHING THAT THE CHINESE PUT TO THEM FREQUENTLY, THEN THE STEAM PIPE WOULD HAVE ENTERED AT THE BASE AND NO SUCH STRUCTURE WOULD BE NECESSARY. ALAN BROWN OF GEC HAD UNDERTAKEN RECENTLY, AND BELATEDLY, TO TAKE ANOTHER LOOK AT THIS, BUT THEY SAID THAT THEY HAVE HEARD NO MORE. IF THE NEED FOR THE STRUCTURE COULD BE REMOVED THEN THE STEEL REQUIREMENT FROM CLEVELAND BRIDGE WOULD OF COURSE BE REDUCED. I SAID THAT I COULD NOT COMMENT MEANINGFULLY ON COMPARISONS BETWEEN FRENCH AND BRITISH DESIGNS, BUT CLEARLY IT WAS A LITTLE LATE FOR MAJOR DESIGN CHANGES. STONES AND CATER ALSO REFERRED TO THE VISIT, PROBABLY AT THE END OF THIS MONTH, TO THE UK AND FRANCE OF WANG QUANG GUO, CHAIRMAN OF GNPJVC AND ZHU LING, LI PANG'S WIFE, AND SAID THAT THEY KNEW THEY WERE GOING TO GET ROYAL TREATMENT IN FRANCE. CHINA LIGHT AND POWER WOULD DO THEIR BEST FOR THEM IN LONDON AND STONES WOULD TAKE THEM TO HIS BORDERS FARM, BUT IT WOULD HELP ENORMOUSLY IF HMG COULD ALSO TREAT THEM WELL. I SAID I KNEW THIS HAD BEEN MENTIONED BEFORE (PARA 16 OF GOODMAN'S MINUTE OF 10 APRIL TO DAY) BUT I WOULD AGAIN PASS ON WHAT THEY SAID. I ASSUME THAT ON THE GOVERNMENT SIDE WE TOO WOULD DO OUR BIT TO MAKE SURE THAT THESE VISITORS ARE PROPERLY RECEIVED, PARTICULARLY IN LIGHT OF THE CURRENT DIFFICULTIES.
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