TNAG-0182-FCO40-218-Defence-contributions-1969 — Page 41

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I think I should also say that the total cost we now expect

to have to meet for the new works within the present

agreement is £3.5M as against a total contribution by

Hong Kong of £2.4M.)

4. No costs of a Hunter unit are included in the statement,

as you told the Defence Secretary that you would not be able

to meet the capital cost of such a unit. As the Defence

Secretary promised, we have examined the possibility of visits

by RAF aircraft to Hong Kong during their annual training; the

Defence Secretary understood that this would be acceptable to

you. We find that visits could be made by Phantoms, Buccaneers,

V-bombers, Nimrods and Canberras, to the extent of RAF

combat aircraft being present in Hong Kong for a maximum

of 20 days in any one year. The annual running costs of

these detachments are estimated at £2500 in budgetary terms

(£3000 in local costs); there might also be some small

increase in station overheads at RAF Kai Tak. It is possible

that visits by Phantoms would require you to lay concrete

ends to the runway.

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5. Coming now to the question of the future Defence

contribution, you explained to the Defence Secretary the

considerable difficulty you had been faced with in 1966

because of the notional division of the garrison between

internal security forces and external defence forces. We

can see your point, and it is of course true that during times of unrest virtually the whole of the garrison is

and available for internal security as required. We share your

wish that the form of negotiations should be "designed to

give you the greatest possible assistance in presenting the

case to unofficial opinion in the Colony. But clearly a

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