Background
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A 2. My minute of 12 September to PS/Lord Caithness set out an
approach to the management and design of the new Consulate-General
which Lord Caithess's meeting on 17 September broadly endorsed.
B
Mr
C Burn's subsequent meeting on 4 October coordinated all departmental
views. In consequence, Mr Newey (OED Project Manager), Mr Savage
(OED Estate Surveyor), Mr Morris (HKD's Project Coordinator) and I
visited Hong Kong last week to take forward the key discussions.
This submission summarises the outcome of those discussions and
makes recommendations for the next steps.
Private Treaty Grant (PTG)
3. We had several meetings with members of HKG's Lands Branch
about the unofficial first draft of the proposed PTG and its
attached Special Conditions. The Grant will constitute our title
to the site and buildings for a 50 year term. (We enquired about
an option to renew, but they explained that the Joint Declaration
gives HKG no power to grant this.) We had some difficulties with
HKG's proposals, which are much less flexible and significantly
more onerous than we would willingly accept elsewhere. HKG argued
that every other recipient of a PTG had accepted similar terms to
those put to us, but accepted that the inclusion within our
development of eventual diplomatic premises (within the meaning of
the Vienna Convention) could merit some reconsideration.
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Private notes are available after approval.