TNAG-0182-FCO40-218-Defence-contributions-1969 — Page 6

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3. It would be necessary to keep the increase in that part of the contribution related to recurrent costs as low as possible; he did not expect this figure to do more than rise proportionately with rising costs. He would like to see as much as possible of the increase included under capital expenditure on buildings and like facilities which would revert to Hong Kong as Government property when no longer required for defence purposes.

4.

The Governor hoped that in London some account would be taken in assessing Hong Kong's monetary contribution of the value of the land made available for defence purposes; in view of the shortage of land in the Colony this was a very valueble element in the Colony's total contribution.

5. It was agreed that the next step would be for the Governor to reply to Sir Leslie Monson's letter of 9 October.

(b) Fighter Aircraft

6. It was noted that the Governor would be discussing this matter with Lord Shepherd on 26 November:

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The Governor agreed that there appeared to be no practical alternative to accepting the Ministry of Defence's suggestion of visits by RAF aircraft on training flight detachments to the Far East. In any event he saw little point in having Hunter aircraft stationed in the Colony if, as appeared to be the intention, they were to be withdrawn from service in a few years

time. The

scale of training flight visits contemplated did not constitute a very full programme, particularly during the period 1970/71 and he hoped that this could be improved upon. Visits by Vulcan and Canberra aircraft would be yery welcome, but they would constitute no more than a RAF presenge and what was really required was visits by fighter aircraft. His advisers had stated that there was no reason to strengthen the Kai Tak runway for the purpose of visits by Phantom aircraft but he suggested that a trial visit by one of these aircraft should be arranged to see if, in fact, the runway was adequate. He considered that the real value of these visits was in the reminder that they provided that reinforcement was possible if necessary. But he had some misgiving that if the plan was that such visits should be organised specifically to meet an emergency at any time, they might in the event be regarded as provocative and therefore to be avoided if at all possible.

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