TOP SECRET
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SECRETARY OF STATE
Page No.3 of 1 Pages
4.
b.
lle also
military authorities fully understood the views of the Singapore Government about the order in which redundant civilians should be discharged. made clear that the reductions during the current financial year would be unlikely to affect in any way our obligations to our allies.
As to plans for 1970/71 and the further
HMG was rundown between now and then; unlikely to be ready until some time in June for further discussions with their allies about their plans. Mr. Healey put forward, as a personal idea, that there might be value' in a meeting of Commonwealth Prime Ministers concerned with the problem, which might
when, in any be held in London in June event, air. liolt and the Tunku expected to be there.
www.
Mr. Lee Kuan Yew noted what Mr. Healey had said . at a. above. He appeared somewhat disconcerted by the prospect of the additional reductions in local employees planned for 1967/68. He gave the impression that his reaction was stimulated by his concern over the current issues (probably of an economic character) at which he had hinted at his meeting with Mr. Healey on Sunday, April 23rd.
As regards b. above, (paragraph 6 of the record).
since
Mr. Lee Kuan Yew reacted against the suggestion of a special meeting of Commonwealth Primë Ministers in London, he felt that, if matters were to be handled in a low key, it would be important to avoid a public "crashing of gears" Although he took Mr. Healey's point that such a meeting might be preferable to a single tour by a senior UK Minister with a series of Press Conferences in one country after another, he felt that it might be better for the Prime Ministers concerned to come separately to London for
He wondered consultation with the British Government. whether it would not be possible for such consultation to be postponed until the autumn.
5.
Mr. Healey replied that he very much doubted whether postponement would be possible since the Government were, as he had explained, planning to make some public announcement about their new policy before the summer recess, and since he himself would have to make some announcement about the long term size and shape of the Services as soon as possible. The major problem would be: how much would IIMG have to say about its policy in relation to the Far East in the mid 1970s? Mr. Healey expressed a personal view that, though there would be difficulties
/about this,