FINANCIAL TIMES
1 JAN1
Cutting dated
19
Hong Kong to pay more for Gurkha unit
HONG KONG, Dec. 31.
A Hong Kong official has said that Britain and Hong Kong will have to negotiate to see who will pay for an extra 700-man Gurkha battalion after 1971.
In 1971 the British military with- drawal from Singapore will be completed.
Hong Kong's Deputy Defence Secretary. Mr. P. B. Williams, said in a radio interview that Hong Kong would have to pay more in future.
His comments followed criticism in Hong Kong of the cost of main- taining the garrison.
Mr. Williams said the British Government spent H.K.$260m. (£17.8m.) a year to maintain the garrison, and the Hong Kong government had agreed to pay H.K. $80m. (£5.5m.) of this a year. Part of the $80m. went towards support. ing the present 3,000-man Gurkha brigade while the rest went on maintaining other British army, air and naval forces, Mr. Williams added. Reuter.
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