Mr Jackson
DEFENCE REVIEW: PREPARATION OF BRIEFS FOR CONSULTATION WITH
ALLIES ON NON-NATO COMMITMENTS
(Note by Ministry of Defence)
At its meeting on 18 September, the Defence and Oversea
Policy Committee agreed that officials should prepare briefs
for international consultations on the basis (inter alia)
"that we should withdraw our forces wholly from Cyprus; that
the Hong Kong Government would contribute not less than three-
quarters of the cost of a reduced garrison in the Colony and
that our other non-NATO and Mediterranean commitments should be
reduced as proposed in OPD (74)23 ....".
2.
There
Many of the arguments which will need to be included in
these briefs have been set out in the Defence Studies Working
Farty's report and that of the Defence Review Steering
Committee, and are generally accepted by Departments.
are, however, a number of points which merit some further
`discussions before briefs can be completed. This paper socks
the views of the Sub-Committee on these points, several of
which relate to continuance of consultative commitments and
have to be considered against the background of our
announced ministerial intention to "match the resources
likely to be available against the commitments we shall choose
to continue"
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SECRET