HUK.10/1.
SECRET
Hong Kong Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London S.W.1
5 February, 1970
3
Dear Sur Dared,
The purpose of this letter is to let you have an up-to-date summary of the position both as regards the provision of
additional helicopters for Hong Kong and as regards the Ministry of Defence's proposals for providing fighter cover for the Colony by means of visits by RAF combat aircraft.
Helicopters
You will no doubt by now have learnt through Service channels that the Defence Secretary has agreed to the proposal that the unit establishment of the Whirlwind Squadron in Hong Kong should be increased to ten machines with effect from March 1970. In conveying his approval Mr. Healey has said that he is prepared to accept the cost of the extra helicopters against Defence votes from the same date but that this must not be taken as committing the Ministry of Defence to continue on this basis after March 1971 in the absence of an acceptable new financial agreement with the This is Hong Kong Government on the garrison costs as a whole. because he regards the costs of operating the helicopters, which are required for internal security purposes, as being in principle for the Hong Kong Government to bear.
Visits of RAF combat aircraft post-1971
We have now received confirmation from the Ministry of Defence of the information that Richard Sykes gave us orally at our discussions with you here on 24 November in response to the queries raised in your letter to me TSX 1/57 of 15 September. The Ministry confirm:
(a) that the work now required on the Kai Tak runway and
hard standings is the result of routine transport movements and is in no way connected with the proposals for visits of training detachments. It is therefore
not a matter of financial concern to the Hong Kong Government;
(6) that on the assumption that visits by Phantom aircraft
post-1971 would be no more frequent than indicated in my letter to you DP 4/393/1 of 27 August, 1969, there will be no need to lay further concrete at the ends of the runway.
The question of cost therefore does not
(c)
arise;
that the estimated annual cost of the proposed post-1971 visits is, in fact, £2,500-£3,000 and not, as stated in my letter af 27 August.
His Excellency
Sir David Trench, GCMG., MC.,
Government House,
HONG KONG,
SECRET
#EX
ALF.
9
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