MECIEM UN PALO A
also been provided to the Malta Government. Some force
reductions could probably be made between 1977 and 1979.
Residual forces and costs would be:
Numbers at end 1977/78
Servicemen
Civilians
Savings foregone (FM)
1978/79 1933/84
Royal Navy
1 Cdo Group
reducing to 1
Company in 1977,
370
[350]
HQ and shore
facilities.
[1.57 +1.1
2.6
NIL
Army
Communications and
support elements
reducing in 1977
to match Cảo reductions.
150
[3307
0.5
NIL
+0.3
0.8
Royal Air Force
Nimrod Sqn disbands
not later than
1977/78. Airfield
450
[2007
2
NIL
facilities and 8
Canberras remain
until 1979.
14.
Gibraltar
a. It is considered politically necessary to
retain the Gibraltar commitment, meeting it much
as at present. It may well be necessary, for economic
reasons only, to continue to support the dockyard (annual
cost estimated as £5M); this could be to the detriment o
the United Kingdom dockyards.
11
SECRET UK EYES A