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98
Mr Thomas, SWED Mr Hickman, SWPD Mr Chalmers, SAD
Mr Ewans, EAD
Mr Wright, MED
Mr Carless, LAD
Mr Preston, Caribbean Dept
Mr Cox, WIAD
cc Mr Edmonds
Mr Elliott
Mr McLaren, WOD
Mr Stuart, HKIOD
Mr Goodison, SEED
RECEIVED
REGISTRY No.52 16 SEP 1974
NXK 19/9
DEFENCE REVIEW: NON NATO COMMITMENTS
1. As some of you already know, the Cabinet Office are recommending to OPD Ministers that at the OPD meeting on 18 September, Ministers should not only consider further the question of the Critical Level for future defence spending in relation to our NATO commitments, but should also reach firmer decisions than they have so far done on recommendations in the Steering Committee's report (OPD 74 (23)) on commitments in the Mediterranean and other parts of the world. The object would be to enable officials to work out more precise UK plans than are contained in OPD 74 (23), as a basis for consultations with our allies after an election.
2.
Ministers have of course already taken broad decisions on Cyprus and Hong Kong and it is not expected there will be any further discussion of these. Briefs for the Secretary of State will however be required on:-
Brunei
Five Power Defence Arrangements Gan
Mauritius
Oman
Malta
Gibraltar
Caribbean generally, especially
Belize and the Falkland Islands
very
The briefs will need to indicate briefly and broadly whether in the FCO view we should retain, reduce or abandon these various commit- ments, and if so, in what time scale, in the light of the recommendations in OPD 74 (23) and such discussion as there has
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