(118281) Dd. 391599 1,500M 2/69 Hw.
10
HKK. 19%.
Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Secret.
Confciential.
Restricted. Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
..In Confidence
DRAFT
s/o letter
4. b
To:-
His Excellency
Sir David Trench, GCMG., MC.,
Government House,
HONG KONG.
Type 1+3
From
Mr. W. S. Carter
Telephone No. & Ext.
Department
NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
FlagA
Copy for
BP4/395/1. DP4/393/2.
Thank you for your letter TSX1/57 of 13 January
about fighter cover for Hong Kong.
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 Hong Kong Government on the garrison costs as a
whole. This is because he regards the costs
of operating the helicopters,
/ which
Page 180Page 181
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.