COUNCIL HORSE GUARDS AVENUE, F WHITEHALL, S.W.J. 13th December, 1954 Kuwait Development At the inter-departmental meeting on Kuwait held under your chairmanship on the 12th October, the Board of Trade were asked to sound the British contractors working in Kuwait about the current negotiations on the terms of their contracts. This has now been done; and inevitably in the course of the talks with representatives of the "Big Fivell the position of our firms in general and prospects in Kuwait for the immediate future were raised by them. It seems that the firms are about to raise the subject again at a high level as they consider that vigorous action with full support from H.M.G. is necessary immediately if our future chances of continuing to work in Kuwait on a big scale are to be favourable. Flag I have thought it best, therefore, to review in a draft paper the past history of development in Kuwait - based on Peter Reilly's admirable memoranda - and to draw together the views expressed to me by the contractors. Two copies of the draft are enclosed (in case you may want to show one to Robert Belgrave); and I am sending a copy also, with a copy of this letter, to Arthur Potter, for such comments as you may both care to make. If you agree, the final result might then be discussed inter-departmentally at an early meeting. /It L.A.C. Fry, Esq., 0.B.E., Foreign Office, S. W. 1.
