SECRET
Foreign and Commonwealth Office London SW1
L M Davies Esq CMG OBE Secretary for Security HONG KONG
Telephone 01-
Your reference
Our reference
Date
HKK 10/1
17 February 1975
Dear Bin,
COSTS OF THE ROYAL NAVY IN HONG KONG
1.
(27)
Thank you for your letter of 18 January a copy of which has been passed to the Navy Department in the Ministry of Defence. We appreciate that you would like your various questions answered as soon as possible, and MOD will be considering whether some of your particular points can be answered separately in advance of the more general matters which you have raised.
2.
Most of your questions could, of course, be more easily answered orally. I have today telegraphed the Governor about a proposed visit by a team to study the possibilities for a £35 m. force. I understand that you may be chairing the meetings once again. If they have not provided them in advance, the team would aim to bring the answers to your questions with them.
3.
I am afraid this is, sadly, my valedictory on Hong Kong affairs, as I shall be handing over to Laurence O'Keeffe at the end of this week. Nor shall we be able to send anyone from Hong Kong Department for the next round of talks, which will coincide with the Seychelles Constitutional Conference. But we have proposed to the Governor that Teddy Jackson, the Head of Defence Department, should come instead. You will find him a sound fellow.
Many thanks for your help. Dout thems
again in due course,
Your ever
Lake
A C Stuart
we shall meet
Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Dept.
cc (blind)
JD Bryars Esq
AUS(GS)
MOD
SECRET
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PA
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