CONFIDENTIAL
DRAFT FROM THE SECRETARY OF STATE TO:
THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE
Out of Area Defence Commitments
1.
In my minutes of 18 June and 4 July about HMS Endurance and the Hong Kong Patrol Craft respectively, I said taht I wished to take stock of these issues in the wider context of our other out of area responsibilities, especially the defence of our Dependent Territories as a
whole.
2.
It is clear that our deployments, for the rust part, derive from inescapable commitments and requirements and relate primarily to the defence of our remaining Dependent Territories in several of which we have a strong foreign policy interest. My understanding is that in these circumstances it is unlikely that any substantial changes would be contemplated as part of the Options for Change review. It is important that the benefits of a diminished threat in Europe should not reduce the level of our commitment elsewhere.
3. For this reason, I am particularly concerned about certain proposals to make changes relating to some of these commitments. This applies first of all to the subjects of my earlier minutes, HMS Endurance and the Hong Kong Patrol Craft. In both cases there are powerful
VR9ADK
CONFIDENTIAL