B.
5.
2
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Resources Controlled by the Territory
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THE ORIGINAL HAS BEEN RETAINED IN THE DEPARTMENT UNDER
SECTION 3 (4) OF THE PUBLIC RECORDS ACT 1958
The territory has balanced its recurrent budget since 1967 but relies on British, and to a lesser extent on Canadian, aid and on the Caribbean Development Bank for loans for development projects. The estimated recurrent revenue for 1978 is BZ$ 51.9 million and estimated recurrent expenditure BZ$ 44.3 million (BZ$ 4 = £1).
£1). British capital aid is running at the level of £4 million per annum, (exclusive of hurricane rehabilitation aid of £2 million in both 1978/9 and 1979/80) and UK technical cooperation at about £0.5 million. Canadian aid presently comes to about £1 million per annum.
6.
There is a British garrison, consisting of one and a half battalions and support and administrative units including fighter aircraft, an air defence missile system for Belize International Airport and a frigate (designated the Belize guardship) which is always within a few days of Belizean waters. The total strength of the garrison is some 2000 servicemen. There is also a Belize Defence Force, currently being set up on infantry battalion lines by British Loan Service Personnel. It has 564 men, to be expanded to 900 all ranks, including a voluntary element of 3 companies, by 1981. The establishment of the main police force is 684 (of whom two are British); this figure includes 44 civilians, and a Tactical Services Unit of about 30 men. The Civil Service totals in excess of 2000 (including about 30 UK- supplemented expatriates, excluding daily paid workers).
THE GOVERNOR
A.
8.
Discretion for Executive Decision
It is the responsibility of the Governor acting in his dis- cretion to appoint as Premier the member of the House of Representatives who appears to him to command the support of the majority. He then appoints other Cabinet Ministers in accordance with the advice of the Premier. The Governor also appoints the members of the Senate, five on the advice of the Premier, two on the advice of the Leader of the Opposition (or if there is no accepted leader of the Opposition on the advice of such persons
STAFF IN CONFIDENCE
/as