Мит влизней,

Kauty.

ميم

p. 519/10

inivas Severung

The Minister

SECRET

Tv. Norm's, HKD

FROM:

Grine. I think the surt

surty

of State (now frowelling)

wd. be content with

this.

J C Morris

18 OCT 1993

Hong Kong Department

158

DATE:

15 October 1993

agrees.

CC:

Sir J Coles

18/10

6.5.Serey

18

10

A

Mr Hum

Min

PS/Mr Goodlad

Private Secretary

Sir T Daunt

Mr Lever

Mr Callway, NPDD

Mr Gomersall, SecPol Dept Mr Smith, South Asian Dept

Any 18/ ca HKA 063/1

HONG KONG; THE GARRISON

Problem

19 ÚCT 1993

1. A letter from the Secretary of State for Defence to the Prime Minister proposing to delay until early next year the decision on the timing of the withdrawal of the last Gurkha battalion in Hong Kong.

Recommendation

2. I recommend that we should not enter into this debate

unless the Chancellor comes back urging an earlier decision.

Background

3. OPD (K) members agreed by correspondence in June that the

withdrawal of the Hong Kong Garrison should be accelerated in order to ease the Governor's task in ensuring that LegCo agreed to pay Hong Kong's share of the cost. It was proposed that the British battalion should return to the UK in around

June 1994. The new proposal retained the original idea that the two Gurkha battalions would amalgamate in September 1994 and the final Gurkha battalion would be disbanded in September 1996 when the British battalion returned to Hong Kong. The Chancellor however pointed out that it ought to be cheaper for

sub.garrison.MORRIS

JEB

SECRET

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