NOTHING TO BE written IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No. 4KK, 10/4.
DEPARTMENT
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION PRIORITY MARKINGS
(Date........
* Date and time (G.M.T.) telegram should
reach addressee(s).
Top Secret
Secret
Confidential
Restricted
Unclassified
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
XXX Clatr XbdXXXX
Cypher
Draft Telegram to:-
Governor Hong Kong
No.
(Date)
And to:-
Flastr Immediate Priority-
Routine
[Secur
}
Despatched
"Security classification" -if any
Privacy marking
[ -if any
[Codeword-if any]....
Reimpe
SECRET
]
Addressed to
GOVERNOR, HONG KONG.
telegram .............
(date)
And to
repeated for information to
Saving to
Repeat to:-
Saving to:-
Distribution:-
FILES.
Copies to:-
As for Hong
Kong telegram No. 144 plus
F.P.A.D. A.T.D.
C.C.D.
DEFENCE DEDY
MIPT
DEFENCE CONTRIBUTION
Following is text of reply to Unofficial Members.
Begins.
1.
After most careful study of your Memorandum
& feel unake HMG much regret that theyeah see no re
to alter
the views conveyed to you by me on 19 February.
2/ It is true that in 1966 the UK's balance of
payments problem was a major factor contributing to
the request for an increased defence contribution
from Hong Kong. Since then the UK has been able, as
a result of a number of difficult and sometimes
painful measures, to move to a position of substantial
surplus on current account, with a consequent
improvement in the external financing position. But
this improvement has occurred in the relatively
recent past. The magnitude of the UK financing
problem previously was such that, even though
SECRET
/substantial