CONFIDENTIAL
We therefore face the unattractive prospect of
having to withdraw the patrol craft in 1992, in the
absence of any agreement over the financing. There is
now an urgent need for a decision but before committing
ourselves irrevocably to withdrawal], I believe, as I made
ministe
it
clear in my note to you on 18 June abut HMS Endurance,
would be sensible to consider this issue in the wider
context of our overall defence responsibilities for Hong
Kong (including the garrison withdrawal plan and the
Gurkhas) and our other out of area responsibilities. For instances the patrol craft visit Brunei and Malaysia where we have substantial interests and take part in
joint exercises such as the recent one under the Five
Power Defence Agreement. Accordingly I have asked my
officials to produce an urgent paper on this, and I
should be grateful if you could agree to defer any final
decision for a couple of weeks until this work has been
completed.
mmite
I am sending copies of this letter to the Prime Minister and the Chief Secretary to the Treasury, and to
Sir Robin Butler.
UGAAL
Douglas Hurd