TNAG-2660-FCO40-3856-Future-of-Hong-Kong-British-Consulate-General-1992 — Page 42

76

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FROM: P F Ricketts

12/1

PERSONAL AND

CONFIDENTIAL

• HKD 406

16 JUN 1992

SK OFFIC

DB

Hong Kong Department

Thanks. We lisenssil with

DATE: 4 June 1992

Mr

Hum

CO

the last in bubling

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Mit N Patter

S

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as the latter be the Greur.

RESIDENCE OF THE FUTURE BRITISH CONSUL GENERAL

من

cro 12/

You asked for the back papers in the light of

Mr Galsworthy's letter of 2 June attached.

1.

2. You will recall the limiting factors in this debate:

there is a widespread feeling (strong in the business community, shared by Stephen Day) that the Consul General should have a good representational house. I agree with

this;

it is most unlikely that we will be able to get the

Treasury to pay full market value to buy one;

-

- the present Governor's view is that ExCo would not countenance another sharply discounted deal as with the

Colvin House site.

3.

Given all that, our options are limited. The Hong Kong

Government produced at the end of last year a list of 3

possible HKG houses for us to consider buying. None of them

fitted the bill. In a notably frosty exchange early this

year, Lord Caithness pressed the Governor on whether

Victoria House could be made available. The Governor ruled

this out, as his attached telegram made clear, and floated the alternative of Headquarters House. Tony Galsworthy said

at that time that he did not believe the Chinese would

JM1ADI/1

SLM

PERSONAL AND

CONFIDENTIAL

85