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DP Note 27/67(A)
(Flimsy Draft (Continued)
d. Morale and Welfare of the Army. Any form of
separation, unless it is unavoidable, duc to operations
or the lack of acceptable accommodation and supporting
services, is to be deplored. Effects of the proposal
on recruiting and prolongation of service are hard to
assess, but the effects of unaccompanied tours on the
families left behind are woll known. It would be invidious
for British teeth units in the New Territories to be un-
accompanied, while Gurkha units in the same area remained
accompanied, as would British units on the Island and also
"trickle-posted" units. There is a danger that acceptance
of the principle of unaccompanied tours in Hong Kong may
be seized upon as a precedent to be applied more easily
elsewhere, and, apart from this, it may become difficult
later to reintroduce accompanied tours in Hong Kong.
e. Quartering in Hong Kong. If the garrison is to be
permanently increased by one major unit, new barrack
accommodation in Hong Kong will be essential. A complete
barracks would cost up to one million pounds and is unlikely
to be completed in less than three years. Alternatively,
it may be necessary to review the agreement to release the
Whitfield Barracks site to the Hong Kong Government,
currently planned to take place in January 1968. However, if unaccompanied troops were to relieve the Gurkhas in the
mid-Seventies, there would be considerable saving in the
provision of Married Quarters, schools and amenities,
amounting to some 43 million pounds on current long term
costings.
f. Quartering in UK. If the garrison were to be
progressively put on an unaccompanied basis, the necessary
rehousing of families would create a large problem, as
quarters would have to be found for the familics of
relieving units, and in view of the fact that the first
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