CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELNO 1912
OF 28143OZ OCTOBER 91
CONFIDENTIAL
B1AZ/1
17
Mr Furness.
As I recall, 110026
yous.
MDLOAN 7669
21
TOP COPY Q DIST ?UM 192
с
29/10
M
16
Q
YOUR TELNOS 2668 AND 3340: ASIA SAT: PROPOSAL TO APPOINT BRITISH NATIONAL SPACE CENTRE (BNSC) AS CONSULTANT FOR LICENSING OF ASIASAT 2
1.
OUR APOLOGIES FOR THE DELAY IN REPLYING. BNSC SEE SOME DIFFICULTIES WITH YOUR PROPOSAL. FIRST, THEY LACK THE RESOURCES TO CARRY OUT A FULL-BLOWN CONSULTANCY. SECOND, BNSC IS A MANAGEMENT UNIT WITHIN GOVERNMENT WHICH CO-ORDINATES THE CIVIL SPACE ACTIVITIES OF VARIOUS GOVERNMENT DEPARTMENTS AND RESEARCH COUNCILS. IT IS MADE UP OF CIVIL SERVANTS AND SCIENTISTS. AS SUCH THERE IS SOME DOUBT WHETHER BNSC HAS THE CAPACITY TO ENTER INTO A CONSULTANCY AGREEMENT OF THE KIND YOU HAVE PROPOSED. (IN ANY CASE BNSC WILL OF COURSE NEED TO BE CONSULTED ON THE LICENSING ARRANGEMENTS PROPOSED FOR ASIASAT 2 TO ENSURE THAT THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRADE AND INDUSTRY'S RESPONSIBILITIES ARE PROPERLY DISCHARGED AND HIS INTERESTS ADEQUATELY PROTECTED).
2. THE BNSC ARE OF THE VIEW (WITH WHICH WE TEND TO AGREE THAT THE CHINESE WILL WISH TO TAKE OVER RESPONSIBILITY FOR HONG KONG'S SPACE ACTIVITIES, AND TO BE INVOLVED IN THE LICENSING OF HONG KONG'S SATELLITES AFTER 1997. WILL YOU BE DISCUSSING THE RELEVANT TREATIES, IN PARTICULAR THE OUTER SPACE AGREEMENT 1966 WITH THE CHINESE IN THE CONTEXT OF THE SUB-GROUP ON INTERNATIONAL RIGHTS AND OBLIGATIONS AND WILL YOU BE SEEKING TO PRESERVE, CURRENT LICENSING ARRANGEMENTS?
3.
WE WOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR FURTHER THOUGHTS. COULD YOU CLARIFY WHY YOU NEED BNSC AS CONSULTANTS? BNSC HAVE NOT RULED THEMSELVES OUT OF THE PICTURE ENTIRELY, BUT ARE NOT ENTIRELY CLEAR ABOUT YOUR THINKING.
HURD
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