TNAG-2344-FCO40-3410-Future-of-Hong-Kong-British-Consulate-General-1992 — Page 172

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in all) without adding significantly to the massive numbers

of commuters and shoppers making use of the local

facilities. To the west of the site the newly opened Hong Kong park provides a (very attractive) pedestrian link from Mid levels, Cotton Tree Drive and Central.

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8. The security concerns can be met by judicious positioning of separate entrances to the three different parts of the building Consulate, Immigration Section and Council. Separate access to the site will be required

whether or not the British Council is accommodated in their

own part of the Consulate-General building or in a separate

building on the site. But we are satisfied that, given the right building design, the security considerations do not

require separate buildings, (although internal arrangements

would be specified to limit passage between the three activities).

9. The demographics of the student body make it unlikely

that they would engage in political protest; all are

part-time students and either have jobs or attend school,

their ages range from 12 to 80, and a large number of them

are either housewives seeking extra qualifications to help

them rejoin the job-market, or professional people expanding their skills. Moreover, Legal Advisers have confirmed that the Council section of a Consulate building would not have diplomatic status (even in the event that the Council

officers themselves had such status), so there should be no claims to sanctuary in their space.

10.

In short, there would appear to be no major barriers to

British Council colocation in the new British

Consulate-General.

NC2AAC/4

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