5
CONFIDENTIAL
5 The focus of the rest of the paper will therefore be on the ten dependent territories in the Caribbean (Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands (BVI), Turks and Caicos Islands (TCI), Montserrat and Anguilla), in the Atlantic north of the Falklands (St Helena, Ascension, Tristan da Cunha and Bermuda) and in the
Pacific (Pitcairn).
IV COSTS AND BENEFITS OF THE TEN DEPENDENT TERRITORIES(1)
resources.
The 1973 Review made a careful analysis of the costs and
benefits. The costs associated with these ten territories were:
international and political; defence; communications; aid; and administration. On the benefits side of the equation were: defence; communications and scientific facilities; and economic
The largest quantifiable costs were aid and defence. But in general the most significant costs and benefits were found
to be unquantifiable. Attention was particularly drawn to the
"significant" political costs, defined to include the possibility
of military intervention either following a break down of law and
order or, conceivably, in conflicts with other powers. Except
where significant benefits would be identified these costs tipped
the balance of the authors' recommendations in favour of shedding
responsibility for the territories. Of the ten only Bermuda,
Pitcairn, St Helena and Ascension were considered to offer
significant benefits: Bermuda because of its importance as a
military base and its air staging facilities; Pitcairn as a
continuing foothold in the Pacific; St Helena because of a
diplomatic radio relay facility; and Ascension because of its
importance as a link in the UK's communications
(telecommunications and military) network.
(1) A similar analysis in para 5 of the Research Department
paper embraces a slightly different set of territories and
so produces different figures.
CONFIDENTIAL