TNAG-2258-FCO40-3254-Hong-Kong-Port-and-Airport-Development-Strategy-(PADS)-Brit-1991 — Page 204

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FM BTC HONG KONG

TO PRIORITY DTI

TELNO OTTER 40

OF 280159Z JANUARY 91

INFO PRIORITY FCO

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HKB 182 13 18213

23

162354

MDLIAN 3922

FOR GALLAHER, PEP

17

M

MY TELNO OTTER 28: OPPORTUNITIES FOR BRITISH FIRMS IN THE PADS

PROJECT

1. HAVING NOW SEEN YOUR FAXED MATERIAL OF 17 JANUARY (RECEIVED 21 JANUARY) AND HAVING DISCUSSED IT WITH CHRISITIAN ADAMS WHEN HE WAS HERE, I AM CONTENT TO SUPPORT YOUR PROPOSAL THAT AN OUTSIDER BE APPOINTED TO ADVISE ON FURTHER MEANS OF DISSEMINATING INFORMATION ON THE PADS PROJECT TO BRITISH COMPANIES, ALTHOUGH NOT WITHOUT SOME LINGERING RESERVATIONS. MOREOVER, I AGREE WITH A SUGGESTION BY CHRISTIAN ADAMS THAT USING AN OFFICIAL ON A SHORT TERM ASSIGNMENT WHO HAS HAD EXPERIENCE IN THE PARALLEL EXERCISE FOR THE CHANNEL TUNNEL MIGHT BE PREFERABLE TO APPOINTING AN

OUTSIDE

CONSULTANT.

2. MY MAIN RESERVATION IS THAT THE UNDERLYING MOTIVE SEEMS TO BE TO OVERCOME A PERCEIVED SHORTAGE OF INFORMATION ON THE PROJECT. I DOUBT THAT ANY SUCH SHORTAGE EXISTS. FOR A VARIETY OF REASONS, NOT LEAST BECAUSE OF A SLIGHT NERVOUSNESS THAT THE ADVANCE TO 1997 MIGHT MAKE INTERESTED COMPANIES HESITANT ABOUT PARTICIPATING, THE HKG ALREADY PUTS OUT VERY DETAILED INFORMATION, WHICH WE RELAY TO YOU E.G. THE ISSUES OF 'CONTRACTS AND CONSULTANCIES' ISSUED BY THE PORT AND AIRPORT DEVELOPMENT INFORMATION UNIT, OF AIRPORT CORE PROJECTS AT 20 NOVEMBER 1990 BOTH OF WHICH WE HAVE SENT TO YOU, WHICH LISTS PRE-QUALIFICATION, TENDER AND CONTRACT DATES, LIST CONSULTANTS ON EACH PART OF THE PROJECT WHERE DECIDED, AND GIVE THE MANAGING HKG DEPARTMENT, PLUS NAMES AND PHONE NUMBERS OF A CONTACT POINT. THIS IS THE PUBLICLY AVAILABLE INFORMATION. TO GET MORE WOULD BE DIFFICULT AND THE INFORMATION UNRELIABLE.

3.

NEVERTHELESS IT MAY BE POSSIBLE TO DIG DEEPER INTO THE REQUIREMENT FOR SUBCONTRACTORS AMONG SUCCESSFUL COMPANIES AS THE PROJECT DEVELOPS THAN WE MAY FIND POSSIBLE. ANOTHER POSITIVE FACTOR IS THE GROWING RETICENCE OF THE HKG TO PUBLICISE PROGRESS

1

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