28
SECRET
DRAFT TELEGRAM TO HONG KONG SECURITY DEPARTMENT
For Wotherspoon Security Dept for Hatfield Sec(0) (C)
RN Presence in Hong Kong
Redacted
lunder FOI exemption 27(1)
1. Further to our meeting on Friday on the Defence Costs
THE
Agreement, this is to confirm HHG position at official OF MUD OFFICIALS
level, on the future of the RN Presence in Hong Kong.
1
2. At present the garrison withdrawal plan assumes that the
three Peacock patrol craft will leave Hong Kong in 1991/2,
with their residual tasks being taken on by MARPOL. The 1988
DCA was drawn up and agreed on the basis of this withdrawal
plan as have our forward defence programming assumptions. Consequently there is no financial provision for running on
'these craft after 1991/2 and, as important, no manpower
planned for them. Our assessment is that there has been no
substantive change in the military position since the withdrawal plan was drawn up and that therefore the military
case is in itself insufficiently strong to justify the
retention of an RN presence. Certainly in defence programming
terms we would be reluctant to see this additional commitment
displace other items of greater military priority.
3. We do however recognise that there are political factors
favouring retention of an RN presence,
SECRET
ME
NOT WITH STANDING WITHSTANDING
GOLENOID!
DE ROUTE he the CBF