CONFIDENTIAL
MINISTRY OF DEFENCE
Main Building Whitehall London SW1A 2HB
Telephone 01-218 2084
01-218 9000
(Direct Dialling)
(Switchboard)
Charles Haswell Esq
HKD
WH312
FCO
Dear Charles,
разв
558
Your reference
Our reference
R/Sec (0)(C)6/7
Date
23 November 1989
нік В
24319
ECEIVED IN REGISTRY
17 JUL 1990
S
'EX
REPATRIATION OF VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE
1. Thank you for your letter of 16 November to Martin Howard (currently in Hong Kong).
2. You asked for confirmation of the estimated charges which MOD would levy for use of a VC10 in the first repatriation exercise. Based on the estimate of a total of 39 hours 5 minutes flying time the full cost charge (which we would have to levy if the Hong Kong Government was meeting the bill) would be £339,885, while the no loss cost charge (which we would levy if the FCO was paying) would be £112,320. These charge estimates have been prepared in accordance with Treasury rules and they are not negotiable, although obviously the final charge would be based on the actual, rather than estimated, flying time. addition, there would be small charges for overnight crew accommodation in Hong Kong etc. I must stress that MOD Ministers would be very reluctant to sanction the use of military aircraft for this operation, and the question would have to be put to OD(K), in any event.
In
3. You also asked whether it would be possible for RAF air crew to be placed on standby to fly the Cathay Tristar should the civilian crew refuse to take on the assignment. Again, we would not wish to see direct military involvement in the repatriation process on principle, and we would have to consider the immense presentational problems of replacing a civilian crew with military personnel in this instance. If the Cathay crew
refused to fly the aircraft on the grounds of safety (ie they anticipated a riot whilst airborne) it would be very difficult for us to say that the RAF crew would be immune from such problems.
4.
Turning to the practical problems involved in providing a RAF crew; they would first have to obtain the appropriate clearances to fly on the type of Tristar aircraft operated by
CONFIDENTIAL