17
SECRET
(e) As regards the costs referred to in paragraph 4 of your
letter to me of 16 December, the Ministry of Defence have earlier indicated that they do not consider that they should be expected to find these funds. Our own view and that of the Governor is that Hong Kong should contribute to these costs in the same manner as it has hitherto contributed (i.e. though its defence contribution ) to the costs of fighter cover provided for the Colony. item is a very small one and we suggest that it be included in the negotiations over the new defence contribution agreement.
The
5. There is one further point which we feel we should bring to your attention. You will recall that the Governor's original proposal, that a Unit of RAF Hunter aircraft should once again be stationed in Hong Kong as part of the Colony's future garrison, was approved by Ministers in Defence and Overseas Policy Committee at a meeting in May 1968 "subject to further examination of the possibility that these aircraft might be manned and serviced from local resources". (OFD(68) of 29 May 1968 refers.) In view of this, we thought it advisable to obtain Ministerial approval here for the decision to abandon the original proposal in favour of the proposals for training flight visits (see paragraph 6 of Sykes' letter DP 4/393/1 of 6 Cctober to Noyes). This we have done, but it could be argued that the decision should be endorsed by the Defence and Overseas Policy Committee itself. We should appreciate your views on this point. From our reading of the minutes of the meeting in question, it seems to us that the Ministry of Defence are, in any event, committed to reporting back to the Committee when they have assessed the full costs of the Hong Kong defence commitment; and that occasion would seem to offer an appropriate opportunity of informing the Committee of the decision to abandon the proposal for stationing a fighter unit in the Colony.
:
:
SECRET
(J. Thomas)
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.