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WILL NEED TO BE MORE SUCH MEETINGS BEFORE VIEWS CAN CRYSTALISE ROUND A FIRM NEGOTIATING BRIEF. THERE ARE ONE OR TWO WHO LOOK
LIKE FEELING OBLIGED TO MAKE TROUBLE FOR THE SAKE OF THEIR PUBLIC
IMAGE, AND, TO DO THEM JUSTICE, BECAUSE OF THEIR GENUINE CONCERN
TO KEEP UP SOCIAL SPENDING.
12. ALL IN ALL I THINK MY ESTIMATE OF £17M AS A CEILING FOR
HONG KONG (PLUS AN INFLATOR) AND OF A 50/50 SPLIT STILL LOOKS
RIGHT AS AN OPTIMISTIC FORECAST OF WHAT CAN BE GOT.
13. THE CRUX OF THE MATTER IS GOING TO BE PARA 2 ABOVE (ALL POINTS) AND PARA 7. IN PARTICULAR SOME RATHER DRAMATIC RELEASE
OF LAND COULD MAKE ALL THE DIFFERENCE.
14. THE FOREGOING MIGHT BE THE STARTING POINT FOR OUR
DISCUSSIONS NEXT WEEK. MEANWHILE WOULD YOU CONSIDER THE
FOLLOWING POINTS:
(A) WHAT CONTRIBUTION IS BEING ASKED OF OTHER DEPENDENT
TERRITORIES MEMBERS WERE RATHER PRESSING ABOUT THIS?
(B) SOME MEMBERS THOUGHT THAT AN UNFAVOURABLE IMPRESSION
MIGHT BE LESSENED BY AN EXPLICIT STATEMENT TO THE EFFECT
THAT THE NECESSITY FOR A GREATER HONG KONG CONTRIBUTION
WAS DUE TO THE FINANCIAL AND BUDGETARY PROBLEMS OF THE U.K.
IS THIS A STARTER?
(C) THE DIVISIVENESS AND THE ROOM FOR POLITICAL MISUNDERSTANDING
CREATED BY PERIODIC REVIEWS OF THE LEVEL OF GARRISON AND
HONG KONG'S CONTRIBUTION TO IT ARE OBVIOUS. WOULD IT BE
POSSIBLE TO ACHIEVE AN AGREEMENT THAT WAS RATHER LONGER
TERM THAN THE USUAL 5 YEARS AND TOOK HONG KONG OUT OF THE
SCOPE OF FUTURE REVIEWS? THERE ARE LOCAL ARGUMENTS BOTH
FOR AND AGAINST SUCH AN APPROACH, BUT. I WOULD LIKE TO HEAR
THE WHITEHALL SIDE.
MACLEHOSE
FILES
HKIOD(4)
DEFENCE DEPT
GIPD
NEWS DEPT
SIR D WATSON
MR MALE
SIR G ARTHUR MR THOMSON
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