W(B)L 51-74 33
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
TOP SECRET
Registry No.
HWB 10/9
DRAFT LETTER
Type 1 +
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
To:-
From
Top Secret.
MMPRE
Confcientiat Restricted
PRIVACY MARKING
..In Confidence
The Rt. Hon. Denis Healey)
MBE., MP.,
Secretary of State
for Defen
Revised Dropp
See
& he has just- written to us again on the subject (we have sent a
сору
of his letter to your
Micials).
long
hord shophord
Cecutary of State Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
the question whether fighter aircraft
should once again be permanently stationed in
Hong Kong has, I believe, recently arisen in
connection with the forthcoming study of the
defence of the Colony in the long term. I
understand that the Air Force Department have
been asked to examine this matter, having
regard to Commonwealth Office views.
The Governor of Hong Kong feels strongly
that there should be a permanent fighter
presence in Hong Kong (his views are, I believe,
shared by the Commander, British Forces, Hong
Malcolm Shepherd Kong), and He raised it with mering visit
latter's to the Colony last October; he subsequently
set out his case in his Saving Despatch No.709
of 27 December, 1967, which has since been
circulated to the Chiefs of Staff;
I take it that there is to be no change
for the present in the policy of arranging
frequent visits of fighters from Singapore.
If that is the case, I do not feel too worried
about the immediate future. But I am concerned
about the position after withdrawal of our
likelihood
forces from Singapore and the possibility that
some time before that withdrawal is completed
for
it will not be possible to spare fighter
aircraft to visit Hong Kong.
It is in the context of this longer term
situation that we have considered carefully the
/ arguments
...
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