.. Jun
UNCLASSIFIED
:
From:
A J Beamish
Date:
24 September 1992
CCS:
Sir J Coles Mr Hum
o/r
Mr Pellew, NAD Mr Elam, CRD
Miss Spencer
MARSHALL SCHOLARSHIPS
1. In the present harsh financial climate and in light of the Secretary of State's decision not to apply for a PES bid for scholarships this year, I can see the difficulty about maintaining, in real terms, the value of the Marshall Programme and I recognise the ingenuity and care with which you and Mr Elam have worked to shield the Marshall Programme from the worst rigours of the current situation.
2.
By
However, I was staggered to read in Mr Elam's minute of 26 August to Sir J Coles that the Programme for the States is smaller than the Programme for Hong Kong. I cannot understand by what scale of priorities this came about. the time some of next year's Hong Kong scholarship holders will have completed their grants, we shall have virtually left the colony. No doubt we shall continue to have interests in Hong Kong and need to be in touch with influential people there, but compared with our agenda in the States and the scope for us to exercise influence there in the long term there can surely be no basis for justifying a higher provision for Hong Kong.
3. I recognise that I am entering this debate rather late in the day but if we cannot seek increased funds then I do think that within the financial limits that we have to operate we should look again at the priorities.
A J Beamish
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