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d. would be able to provide aid to the civil power
in any of the associated States if Ministers were
to decide to accede to a request for such assistance. If the ships were no longer there, our ability to undertake these tasks would be greatly reduced; but, provided that risk is accepted, it is difficult to argue that it is essential for ships to be permanently stationed there. The Secretary of State could add that as part of a package designed to secure a definitive agreement for continued use by HM Forces of various defence facilities (including test ranges) in the Bahamas, we have offered the Bahamas Government to try to continue to sail HM ships in Bahamas waters to warn off intruders for a period of not more than two years from the date of the conclusion of the agreement (which has yet to be signed). If HM ships were no longer stationed permanently in the West Indies it would be marginally more difficult, but not impossible, to fulfil this commitment provided HM Ships continued to nail in Bahamas waters en route to the test ranges.
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