HKB 063/1
1:00L1991
CONFIDENTIAL
FROM:
DATE:
PS/Lord Caithness
12 July 1991
CC:
PS/Mr Hogg
130
Mr Stoma
12/1
1517
Private Secretary
129
OUT OF AREA DEFENCE COMMITMENTS
1.
PS/Mr Garel-Jones
PS/Mr Lennox-Boyd PS/PUS
Mr Goulden
Mr Weston
Mr Broomfield
Sir J Coles
Mr Fairweather
Mr Beamish
Mr Burns
Heads of: WIAD, LAD,
SAAD, SEAD, HKD, MED, SED, SAD, EAD, Sec Pol, Policy Planning Staff
He
Lord Caithness has seen a side copy of Mr Goulden's submission of 11 July. He thinks that the redraft of the minute to the Defence Secretary is a distinct improvement. suggests that the paragraph on Hong Kong might be tactically strengthened by referring to the Hong Kong Government's willingness to reduce the number of naval patrol craft from three to two. This might be achieved by the addition of a new sentence at the end of the paragraph beginning "As for Hong Kong ..." along the following lines:
2.
"However, despite these pressures the Hong Kong Government recognise the severe financial constraints on the MOD budget and would be willing to accept a reduction from three to two in the number of patrol craft based in Hong Kong."
Lord Caithness is a little uneasy about the reference in the following paragraph to further economies in the running of the garrison. But he accepts that this is presentationally advantageous in putting the case to the MOD and that some reduction in helicopters would be operationally sustainable.
la Rull
M.
Peter Tibber
PS/Lord Caithness
12 July 1991
CONFIDENTIAL