ANG M
000115
MDHIAN 0919
GUARANTEE THAT THE TWO OPERATIONS ARE DISCONNECTED AND THAT I SHALL CONTINUE TO BE PRESENTED WITH FAITS ACCOMPLIS. THE EXPERIENCE OF THE PAST TWO MONTHS CONFIRMS THAT HMG IS LOOKING AT THE BUILDING FIRST, RELEGATING TO SECOND PLACE THE PEOPLE AND WHAT THEY SHOULD BE DOING. THIS IS WRONG AND I EXPLAINED WHY IN THE PROPOSALS ON WHICH I SOUGHT YOUR COMMENT. WOULD YOU GIVE A
COPY TO THE CHIEF CLERK QUERY.
8.
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WHITTLE QUOTED THE EXAMPLE OF NORMAN FOSTER AND THE HONG KONG BANK HQ. THAT MUST BE AMONG THE MOST NOTORIOUS BUILDINGS IN THE HISTORY OF THE CONSTRUCTION INDUSTRY THREE TIMES BUDGET. WIMPEY, WHO BUILT IT, LEFT HONG KONG. AMEC, WHO DID THE E AND M TERMED IT A ''NIGHTMARE OF A BUILDING I COMMEND TO OED THE BOOK WRITTEN ABOUT THE EXPERIENCE THE BUILDING OF THE BANK''.
9.
W
AS I EXPLAINED TO YOU, TO WHITTLE AND TO OTHER OED VISITORS, TO CHOSE AS ARCHITECTS A COMPANY THAT HAS NEVER BUILT EITHER A DIPLOMATIC PREMISE OR A BUILDING IN HONG KONG GOES AGAINST OUR CONSIDERED ADVICE AS SPOKESMEN FOR BRITAIN'S TRADE INTERESTS IN HONG KONG. BUT IF YOU DECIDE TO GO AHEAD WITH THEM YOU MUST CONCURRENTLY RESOLVE THE QUESTION OF HOW TO FEED IN THE VIEWS OF THE USERS, I.E. THOSE WHO WILL HAVE TO OPERATE THE BUILDING. THE FAILURE TO MAKE THIS LINK IN MARCH 1988 LED TO A TWO YEAR DELAY IN TUNIS AND THE WRITING OFF OF A SUBSTANTIAL AMOUNT OF MONEY.
10. EVERY COMMERCIAL PROJECT IN WHICH I HAVE BEEN INVOLVED GETS THE FUNCTION RIGHT FIRST AND BUILDS ACCORDINGLY. THERE IS TIME TO DO THAT BUT ONLY IF THE TWO SETS OF ISSUES ARE CO-ORDINATED IN LONDON. I HAVE DISCUSSED THIS MATTER IN GENERAL TERMS WITH A RANGE OF PEOPLE INCLUDING THE FORMER AND NEW GOVERNORS, THE DTI AT A SENIOR LEVEL AND THE NEW HEAD OF THE HKAC AND I BELIEVE THEY SUPPORT MY APPROACH - INDEED THEY COULD NOT UNDERSTAND HOW WE WOULD PROCEED OTHERWISE.
11.
A PANEL FROM THE BRITISH CHAMBER OF COMMERCE STUDIED PLANS AND HIGH-LIGHTED SERIOUS DEFECTS THAT WERE EXPLAINED TO WHITTLE. (THEY NUMBER THE FARRELL PROPOSAL FOURTH IN TERMS OF APPROPRIATENESS TO THE BUSINESS VISITOR).
12. I AM NOT ASKING FOR TWO YEARS WORK TO BE SET ASIDE, STILL LESS THAT WE SHOULD START FROM SCRATCH. MY CASE IS SIMPLY THAT THIS IS THE LAST OPPORTUNITY WE SHALL HAVE TO GET THE PACKAGE RIGHT. FOR YOU AND THE CHIEF CLERK TO BASE YOUR ANALYSIS OF MY PROPOSALS ON A REPORT BY MR WHITTLE IS THE STRONGEST EVIDENCE I
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