TNAG-2250-FCO40-3233-Hong-Kong-police-patrol-boats-1991 — Page 24

dti

the department for Enterprise

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

1

6. I made it clear to the Governor that I believed it was of

primary importance that UK firms should win a major part of

the work on the project. Of course their bids would need to

be fully compliant and competitive; but I said that many, both

Inside Parliament and elsewhere, would find it hard to

understand if, after the Government's substantial commitment

to Hong Kong over a difficult time, the UK were to fail to win

a major part of the project. The Governor responded that

contracts would essentially be awarded on the basis of open

I reported to him the view expressed to me by a

number of major British players with an interest in the

airport project that, in their desire for a totally level

playing field, the Hong Kong Government sometimes made it more

difficult for UK firms to win work than their overseas

competitors. The Governor vigorously denied this. I said to

competition.

him that, in the light of the considerable political

difficulties the Government had met both domestically and

internationally, it was important that the playing field

should be titled gently in our favour; and I mentioned the

Prime Minister's close interest in the award of contracts and

I also pointed out that Hong Kong would need a continuing

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

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