TNAG-2961-FCO40-4240-Future-of-Hong-Kong-British-Consulate-General-building-incl-1993 — Page 81

aef1.1g/bgm/1.24.6

HM Treasury

A Wootton Esq

Resource and Finance Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office Room 2/107

Old Admiralty Building Whitehall

LONDON

SW1A 2AF

Dear Alan,

Ms A Lewis

Parliament Street London SW1P 3AG Telephone 071-270

53

CC Mas BARNES-Jonos

4895

Ико

I would welcome

comments

you

partiralal

son para

4.

Sh llott

24/6/93

28/6 dws BJ, we spoke.

24 June 1993

Mr Momnis- We have some sympathy with the Theusing point of view. 2 questions (i) how to handle this at the steeping Committer meeting which a British commit repuill presumably attend (I'll discuss with Me Waiton) (1) any documentary evidence you're aware of about

Joint nos hid"? Apparently OED haven't been able "GENERAL to find any! (We will beck our own fires.

NUT 28/6

HONG KONG: NEW CONSULATE

You will have seen a copy of the letter dated 7 June from Alex Smith in OED to me seeking initial Treasury approval for the construction of a new Consulate General in Hong Kong.

2.

Kim Elliman has raised with you the point that the project includes a building for the British Council and she enquired how that element of the accommodation will be funded.

I understand

that your initial reaction was that there was unlikely to be either a contribution from the British Council towards the capital cost of building or payments to the FCO from the British Council equating to rent.

•

3. I must say that I find this surprising, especially as the British Council has an office in Hong Kong (Easey Commercial Building), which it will presumably give

give up with consequent expenditure savings (or, perhaps, even gain receipts from sale). I should therefore be grateful if you would look into this further and let me have an explanation of how the British Council will pay for its accommodation in the new building and the effect on its grants in aid from the FCO and ODA.

4.

More generally, I should also be interested to know how British Council accommodation costs are normally handled where accommodation is provided by the Diplomatic Wing.

5. Returning to the Hong Kong Consulate General, I should be grateful to learn how that project features amongst Diplomatic Wing expenditure priorities. For example, is it so high amongst your priorities that the project is intended to proceed whatever the outcome of the current public expenditure survey?

6. I am copying this letter to Alex Smith in your Overseas Estate Department.

HKD 406/2

22

993

Yours sincerely, Brian ollan

BG MARR AEF1

Switchboard 071 270 5000

Fax 071-270 5653

Telex 9413704