TNAG-0063-FCO40-99-Defence-extra-costs-arising-from-the-internal-security-situa-1968 — Page 13

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COMMONWEALTH OFFICE

LONDON, S.W.2.

n July, 1968.

да

Will you please refer to your letter to me of 27 June (and previous correspondence) about the charges being raised by the Ministry of Defence for costs incurred in connection with last year's operations in Hong Kong.

We had a brief discussion about this matter a few days ago with the Deputy Command Secretary from Hong Kong and we have now forwarded to the Financial Secretary, Hong Kong, all the particulars that the Ministry of Defence have sent us on this subject. We have asked the Financial Secretary to agree and

settle with the local military authorities as far as possible those items which are accepted without question as a fair charge against the Hong Kong Government.

We understand that the Air Department are not yet in a position to give details of the charges that they intend to raise, but that their bill is likely to be of the order of £25,000. We are passing this information on to Hong Kong, but would be grateful to receive specific figures as soon as possible.

So far as the Army Department charges are concerned, may we take it that the charges which have been notified to us represent their final demands apart from those items which relate to continuing charges?

Dr. M.J. Harte

F. I. (A.D.),

Ministry of Defence.

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(A.W. GAMINARA)