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8. It was explained that the Chiefs of Staff were still examining the proposals for training visits and there was some hope that an increased programme for them might be possible. The RAF programme of post-1971 training visits to Malaysia envisaged visits by 680 aircraft annually and it was possible that aircraft already in S.E. Asia could be diverted to Hong Kong on an ad hoc basis if required in an emergency.
9. Mr. Sykes said that the Ministry of Defence had now agreed that there should be no need for any capital expenditure on strengthening the Kai Tak runway beyond that for which funds had already been earmarked in their own budget. The Ministry had also agreed that the estimated costs of operating the visits to Hong Kong was nearer to the original figure of £2000-3000 per annur. than to that of £5000 per annum last quoted by them.
10. It was noted that, the proposal to substitute training flight visits to Hong Kong for a permanent fighter presence would need to be reported to the Cabinet in due course, but that there was no urgency about this.
(c) Helicopters
11.
It was explained that the proposal to station additional helicopters in Hong Kong would be re-examined by the Chiefs of Staff in the near future. The difficulty was in convincing them and the Defence Secretary of the essentiality, as opposed to the desirability, of making the additional machines available. Pending this re-examination by the Chiefs of Staff the matter
could be taken no further.
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