SECRET
members are long-standing ones and neither this
department nor any other of the departments concerned
considers that they constitute any grounds which
would justify an agreement by Her Majesty's,
Government to accept a defence contribution from
Hong Kong of less than £8.5 million.
4.
A reply to the representations has been
prepared accordingly and is in the form of the
attached two draft telegrams.
One telegram contains
1
the text of a written reply in the form of a letter
from the Governor to the unofficial members.
In
view of the possibilities of a leakage of information
from the latter the written reply has been confined
to statements the leakage of which would not cause
undue embarrassment. The other draft telegram
contains additional points and arguments which it
would be better and safer for the Governor to use in
his discretion in the course of his further
discussions with the unofficial members.
5. The drafts of both telegrams have been agreed at
the official level with the Treasury and the
Ministry of Defence (neither of those departments
considers it necessary for the matter to be the
subject of submissions to their own Ministers) and
(within the Foreign and Commonwealth Office) with
Financial Policy and Aid Department, Aviation and
Telecommunications Department, Commonwealth
Co-Ordination Department and Defence Department. RECOMMENDATION.
6.
I recommend that the Secretary of State be
asked to approve both draft telegrams for issue.
2.
SECRET
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN