BEIS0000180
BEIS0000180
RESTRICTED - POLICY
Qasr LETTER FOR THE SIGNATURE OF MR MCCARTNEY TO JOHN
ROBERTS
BA/POCL AUTOMATION PROJECT
Thank you for your letter of 4 November to Peter Mandelson. It was helpful to
have this clear restatement of your own position in relation to the various options
under consideration, together with your assessment of the negotiations with ICL so
far. I have also noted carefully your comments on the Working Group Report.
On the specific point of your ideas for injecting additional value into the business
case, I understand that my officials have already made clear to yours that we would
not wish you to make any such offer, even tentatively or provisionally, until my
colleagues and I have had an opportunity of considering the outcome of this week’s
negotiations.