CONFIDENTIAL
Permanent Secretary's visit.
It was essential to stop
Garrison funding becoming an issue in Hong Kong. The Garrison had no friends on LegCo and the MOD had exposed its flanks to easy criticism should this become public. Helpfully the MOD had agreed to consult Hong Kong as part of a review of the Garrison run-down. The best way forward would be to remove the expensive UK battalion until the last year when it could
be reinstated to see out the transfer of sovereignty.
2. Sir J Coles asked if the Governor was content that if things got really rough one battalion would be sufficient. The Governor saw no defensive role; civil order was the only issue. He presumed that Ministers would not want troops on the streets in Hong Kong. The RHKPF had a well-organised riot control capability. Difficulties might arise if the command structure were eroded by mixed loyalties or corruption, but he hoped that any major civil order breakdown would be predictable and give sufficient time to permit reinforcement of the Garrison. Sir J Coles commented that this pointed to
the need for MOD to have contingency reinforcement plans.
3.
The Governor's Visit to the USA
The Governor understood that although President Clinton had
told the Prime Minister that he would see the Governor the
Administration could not yet confirm a date and time. But he was concerned that they could not even confirm that there would be a meeting. If a meeting with the President were not possible the arguments for going to Washington looked thin. It was agreed that Sir J Coles should speak to Sir Robin Renwick to ask him to press the Administration after Easter
for confirmation of a meeting.
note.govmeeting.MORRIS
JEB
CONFIDENTIAL