3. In forwarding these figures the Ministry of Defence have
pointed out:
4.
(i) that no provision has yet been included
for a possible increase in the scales of provision
Aym
for married accomodation which Commander British
Forces has recommended,
(ii) that the revised costings still relate to
a mixed army garrison of British and Gurkha
units and that if the proportion of British
troops in the garrison were to increase, expenditure
on capital works would likewise go up,
(iii) that the revised estimates are still based
on current cost levels.
As regards (2), the details given do not altogether meet
the request in your letter of 2nd February to Sir Leslie Monson
for a breakdown of the projects to which the figures relate.
However, the Ministry of Defence have stated that information
on individual projects will, before long, be available from
the military and Ministry of Public Buildings and Works authorities
in Hong Kong and they would prefer it if you obtained the necessary
particulars from those sources.
5. You may wish to know that during the recent visit to Hong
Kong of Mr. Stretton and others from the Ministry of Public
Buildings and Works, it was concluded that in so far as the
Hong Kong Public Works Department might not have the design
capacity to cope with the whole of the expanded works programme,
the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works would be able to
take any remaining balance.