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with drew their proposal
and the CBF expressed their support for the idea
Un
of accompanied tours: the reasons for this
change of attitude were mainly that the outlook
for Hong Kong since Communist confrontation
there ended in December 1967, had improved
sufficiently to warrant taking a slight risk
over the security, in the event of an emergency,
of the additional number of Service families
involved, in return for the very considerable
advantages (particularly in relation to morale)
of accompanied tours.
9. Accordingly, the Ministry of Defence
recently decided that the existing British
units in Hong Kong should continue to be
accompanied This decision was taken quite
independently of any decision that might be
(See paragraph below reached on the future of the Gurkhas although
the latter decision t
it was recognised that such a decision could
substantially affect the number of British
troops who might at some future date be
stationed in Hong Kong. The Governor has been
in ferment,
The annual recurrent costs, on an accom
panied basis, of the 33 units (and their
support) which constitute the British element
in the existing garrison (the remaining
elements are Gurkha units) are estimated by
the Ministry of Defence to be £7.06 million
budgetary costs, including £4.39 million local
costs. This may be compared with £6.85 million
budgetary costs, including £3.64 million local
costs, for a garrison with 2 units unaccom-
panied (assuming that the British unit compris-
ing the battalion stationed on Hong Kong Island
remained accompanied). The decision to allow
the existing British "teeth arm" units to
/ continue
...
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