CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
DRAFT
ANNEX A to OPD(75)
1.
NON-NATO COMMITMENTS
The Defence Review established that our non-NATO commitments
have the lowest priority in strictly military terms and the
Defence Secretary's statement on 3 December proposed a substan-
tial measure of contraction in our commitments and stationed
forces outside the Alliance;
particular attention was drawn to
the 1968 decisions of the former Labour Administration to run down
our forces East of Suez. The Government and Allies affected by
our proposals were informed of them slightly before the Parlia-
mentary Statement and invited to make their further views known
before HMG reached final decisions. In general the news has been
received with little surprise and apparently sympathetic under-
standing of the problems which led to HMG's proposals.
A co-
ordinated plan for withdrawal from Singapore, Gan, Mauritius
and the West Indies by 1 April 1976 is now being prepared. Reactions
and the present state of consultations are described below.
Far East
2. Hong Kong. Ministers decided on 9 September (OPD(74) 14th
Meeting Item 3) that the Hong Kong Government should be asked to
contribute not less then three quarters of the cost of the smaller
garrison. The discussions between officials and the Governor an
are contin January indicated that they are unlikely to agree to do so and the
are bang
issues have been put to Ministers separately.
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