布政司署
SECRET
香港下亞畢道
本署檔號 OUR REF.: SCR 5/62 V
A
REF.
* YOUR REF.:
122
C.S. 41A
hoto Bruce.
کرد
COLONIAL SECRETARIAT
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
8th February, 1975
It might be useful in presenting any case for any increase in the percentage contribution towards the cost of defence which may emerge from the Defence Review if we could be advised of the practice in the past in Colonies generally over contributions towards defence. There must be a wide range of precedents.
Although there are some here who have served in other territories when they were still Colonies and recall certain aspects of their budgets, the information which we have locally is not sufficient, nor is it sufficiently authoritative, to use to support the argument that some Colonies did in fact make a contribution to defence costs.
So far as I can recall from my own memory the Gold Coast in 1951 and probably up to independence made a lump sum cash contribution to UK for part of the cost of the Gold Coast Regiment which was part of the Royal West African Frontier Force. A figure of £750,000 comes to mind, which in those days was quite a large sum. This regiment was raised in the Gold Coast but officered by British Army officers on secondment. More recently, on the other hand, and on the eve of Independence, the Bahamas made no defence contribution towards the Bahamas Patrol operated by the Royal Navy. On the other hand it provided land rent free for certain bases occupied by US Armed Forces and used also by the UK Armed Forces. There are obviously plenty more examples in which either some or no contribution towards defence was made.
Whilst the contributions made at other times and in other places may not be strictly relevant to the circumstances of Hong Kong in 1975 it would be helpful, nontheless, to know what the practice has been, if only to show that it has not been the invariable rule for the UK to meet all the cost of defence for its dependent territories.
yours wher
вий
(L.M. Davies)
Secretary for Security
B.H. Dinwiddy, Esq.,
Foreign & Commonwealth Office,
London SW1.
LMD/jb
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