Canberra, 2 June 1950
Technical Assistance
At the British Commonwealth Consultative Committee Meeting held in Sydney from May 15th to May 20th, 1950, consideration was given to the role of technical assistance in South and South-East Asia.
2. Enclosed herewith are three extracts from the Report of the Consultative Committee.
3. Enclosure ‘A’ sets out the recommendations concerning a Commonwealth Technical Assistance Scheme.3
Enclosure ‘B’ outlines the Organisation envisaged to implement the technical assistance scheme.4
Enclosure ‘C’ is an illustrative outline of the manner in which the technical assistance scheme will work. This outline was prepared by officials but not agreed to in detail.5
4. At the Consultative Committee the Australian Minister for External Affairs indicated that Australia would be prepared to provide technical assistance up to a maximum value of 35% of £8m. sterling over the three years commencing 1st July, 1950.
5. Inter-departmental discussions will be necessary in the very near future to consider the many questions involved in a technical assistance programme by Australia of this magnitude.6 In this connection a further communication will be forwarded to you in due course. In the meantime, you will no doubt wish to be giving some preliminary consideration to the ways in which your Department can help in the carrying out of this technical assistance programme.
[NAA: A1838, 708/9/5 part 1]
1 Alan Watt, Secretary, Department o f External Affairs.
2 G.P.N. Watt, Secretary, Department o f Treasury.
3 See part 2 of Document 71.
4 See part 7 of Document 71.
5 See appendix B of Document 71
6 See Document 78.