Covering SECRET
FROM R J SMITH
Please Note Change Of Title To
DEPARTMENT OF THE ENVIRONMENT
LAMBETH BRIDGE HOUSE, LONDON S.E.I
Telephone: 01-735 7611
EXT 2188
६
A W Gamminara Esq
Foreign and Commonwealth Office Downing Street
SW1
Dear Gamminara,
HONG KONG DEFENCE CONTRIBUTION
LAST
REF.
NEX?
REF.
со
13 January, 1971
I accepted responsibility for providing an answer for you to send to the Governor's signal No 7 of 6 January.
Since your signal to him No 5 of 1 January we have been feeding our Director, Hong Kong with some of the basic information which he has fed to the Defence Secretary. My understanding is that the Governor might be satisfied with rather less detail than he has asked for and might well signal you again. However we agreed that it would be best to reply to the Governor without delay.
I enclose a draft signal together with tables of expenditure on which it is based. I have thought it best to keep as far as possible to the pattern of the information previously supplied to him.
It would be quite unrealistic to try to give a detailed breakdown under each heading for each year and the way I have produced the information is about as far as we can reasonably go.
I have increased the figures for minor works and maintenance somewhat on the advice of our Director there.
It would be pointless to try to give the number of married quarters to be built each year but the information I give ought to suffice I think. I have avoided giving the exact number of quarters in the proposed new programme because the figures given to the Treasury vary very slightly somewhat from the Hong Kong proposals.
I am sending copies to Brack and Thorp and perhaps they will clear any comments by phone with you and me. I am also sending a copy to Frudd (QMGF) and perhaps he will clear with Thorp and me.
Yours sincerely
UKAVID IN REGISTRY Na. 81
-57+ 1971
WRK 10/9