SECRET HKK 10/9
11 June, 1970.
124.
23)
Hong Kong Defence Contribution
I spoke to Curzon (in your absence) on 11 June about
your letter of 18 May on the above subject.
As I told Curzon I have written to the Governor saying that we are anxious to make progress in this matter and enclose a copy of my letter.
It may be that the very substantial increases in the estimated costs of capital works which the revised figures (as given in the enclosures to Davis' two letters to Carter of 17 and 25 March) show over those originally supplied are exercising the Governor and his advisers. Certainly Cowperthwaite, the Financial Secretary, who was recently on leave in the U.K., said that the capital works element in the programme could play an important part in devising a formula to justify any level of contribution to the unofficial advisers to the Governor.
As regards paragraph 3 of your letter, you are of course aware of the recent announcement about the extension of Sir David Trench's term of office for a further year (until October 1971). That brings some alleviation of the urgency of this matter but clearly the sooner we can get definite proposals from the Governor the better.
I an sending copies of this letter to Gedling and
Stretton.
REF.
NEXT
брок
E.H. Gwynn, Esq., C.B.,
Ministry of Defence
Main Building:
Whitehall, S.V.1.
bu
ват
24
12.6.20
вы
one wome
ANG
15.7.20
SECRET
REF.
(L. Monson)
92