TNAG-2599-FCO40-3787-Appointment-of-Chris-Patten-as-new-Governor-of-Hong-Kong--Ap-1992 — Page 25

2.2.

CONFIDENTIAL UK EYES A

S

THIS IS A COPY

THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN CLOSED UNDER

FOI EXEMPTION NO. 27

27(1)

3.

3.1.

3.2.

The Vulnerability of the Building to Technical Attack

not

The building was constructed in the Nineteenth Century and modified by the Japanese during their period of

A deep-wired eavesdropping attack could occupation. have been incorporated at the time of the original construction and it is unlikely that such a system would have been installed during the alterations carried out by the

The vulnerability of the building to Japanese. form of technical attack is therefore assessed as LOW.

this

VERY

technical minor

It is quite possible that a sub-surface wired attack could have been put in during the various modifications that have been carried out to the building since the end of the war, as it is unlikely that the works were adequately supervised,

the particularly in

early located days. However, Government House is detached and within

and grounds own

have been there would difficulties in installing the necessary external cabling required to carry the intelligence product to a listening post other than by using public utilities such as the telephone lines where these could be intercepted by to a an 'agent'

The vulnerability at a remote point.

wired eavesdropping sub-surface

attack is therefore

its

assessed as LOW.

3.3.

As

3.4.

suitable

Government House is a detached building located within its own, controlled, grounds, there is no vulnerability to

areas attack from

outside British probe microphone

a

control.

It is considered that if a long term radio microphone had been installed within the fabric of the building during have taken one of the refurbishments/alterations that

place

since the time of the British re-occupation of

the

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CONFIDENTIAL UK EYES A