Tel. No.-Whitehall 9400.
Any further communication on this subject should be addressed to :-
The I
ecretary of State,
e War Office,
London, S.W.1,
and the following number quoted.
119/Abroad/1245 (L.B.)
Copy to Id. Kory-12
Sir,
5.
foc
NATIONAL
FOR DIS
उट
SCHEME
• NEW 037
RECEIVED
THE WAR OFFICE,
LONDON, S.W.1,
4- MAY 18:30 E
J. O. REG:
Qard
May, 1956.
41
I am commanded by the Army Council to refer to your letter of the 15th April, No.53654/36, and enclosures, relative to the regularizing of the military tenure of certain areas known as Plots "A" to "G", forming part of the Victoria Cantonment, Hong Kong, and to state that they note that Mr. Secretary Thomas recommends for the Council's approval certain proposals contained in a letter dated 29th June last from the Lands Officer of the Colonial Government to the local military authorities.
The Council observe that it appears to be common ground between the Colonial Government and the War Department that the latter has at various dates, either by direct payment to the lessees originally concerned, or by refunding to the Colonial Government the payments made on behalf of the Department, paid in cash for its acquisition of the leasehold interest in these plots. On this basis, the Lands Officer puts forward two points :-
(i) The War Department should now pay the arrears of
Crown rents for these plots as from the date of acquisition, and should further pay the capitalized value of the future Crown rents at 25 years' purchase, the total sums amounting to 77,868 dollars.
(ii) Payment in cash would be no more than equitable in view of the Department's claim to sell its leasehold interest, whether to the Colonial Government or to third parties should the opportunity arise. proposes, however, that in lieu of a cash payment this sum should be debited against the Department in the Colonial Military Lands Account, and that the
The Under-Secretary of State,
Colonial Office,
S.W.1.
He
Colony /