TNAG-0255-FCO40-291-Contributions-of-Hong-Kong-for-costs-of-maintaining-military-1971 — Page 30

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W(B)L 51-7406

5.

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plus support) notionally required for

internal security purposes, and provides

£600,000 annually towards the capital

works programme. A contribution of

£71⁄2 million would similarly cover, in

1971/72, the local costs of the same

proportion of the garrison, and would, in

addition, provide £870,000 annually towards

the capital works programme, including mainterend

costs.

As regards the last sentence of your draft

I think that this is primarily a point for the

Treasury to consider. I can only say that the assistance could not be provided for on the

(adatione)

FCO vote could provide no assistance of this F.C. Samvrces. vots)

kin unless the necessary/funds were specific-

ally made available for the purpose in the

first place.

6. I will take this opportunity, if I may, of

replying to Stretton's letter of 15 December.

The point in his paragraph 2 has been noted and

the necessary adjustments will be made to our

draft. The matter raised in his third para-

graph is, I think, covered by the general

comment in paragraph 2 of this letter.

7.

I should perhaps make it clear that we see

no prospect whatsoever of obtaining from Hong

Kong a contribution of the magnitude which you

contemplate, without using our official majority

in the Legislative Council. We would certainly

not be prepared to advise our Secretary of

State to embark upon such a course of action,

which could only have most unfortunate con-

sequences.

Indeed, it is certainly on the

cards that if we were to press Hong Kong for

a greater contribution than £71⁄2 million,

unofficial opinion in the Colony would opt for

a reduction in the size of the garrison.

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