Classification
SECRET
OUT
TELEGRAM
соки
Caveat
Precedence
PRIORITY
ZCZC
1
ZCZC
TC
2
SECRET
CAVEAT
3
FEM
4
FM FCO
TO
5
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG
TELNO
6
TELNO
OF
7 OF 11172OZ APRIL 90
AND TO
8
9
PERSONAL FOR GOVERNOR FROM MCLAREN, AUSS
10
11
YOUR TELNO 1184 : ROYAL NAVAL PRESENCE IN HONG KONG
///
//
12
131 1. I have spoken to Richard Hatfield, the Under-Secretary
concerned in the MOD, who had seen your Telno 1185.
14
15
16
17
18
19
20
21
2. I made the points in paragraph 2 of your tur, stressing the
seriousness of the political problems which could be caused if
you were obliged to seek additional funding from Finance
Committee.. Hatfield said that he understood the political
sensitivities and had no wish to create difficulties with
Finance Committee. But the MOD faced real practical problems,
arising from the fact that there was no provision for manning
the patrol craft in Hong Kong after 1991/92 and nothing in the budget to pay for them. The manning question would have to be
solved somehow, though it would not be easy: ships were having
to be laid-up because of manpower shortage in the Royal Navy.
The financial difficulty could not be solved without some help
27 from Hong Kong. The MOD were not looking to recover full costs,
but they thought it should be possible, with good will, to
identify ways in which the Hong Kong Government could assist
22
23
24
25
26
28
29
YYYY
MAIN
ADDITIONAL
N N N N
Catchword:
without
File number
M13ABF
Dept
AUSS (ASIA)
Drafted by (Block capitals)
R J T MCLAREN
Telephone no
270 2214
Authorised for Initials
despatch by:
Date/time
1117402
For COD use only
Comcen reference
Telegram number
Processed by
Bas 270224 8107414 50m 3/89 2
YFB6