TNAG-0255-FCO40-291-Contributions-of-Hong-Kong-for-costs-of-maintaining-military-1971 — Page 66

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Mr. Laird

Reference..

86)

At the end of our discussions on 27 November with the Ministry of Defence, MPBW and Treasury, on the subject of the Hong Kong defence contribution, it was left that we should prepare the draft of a paper for submission to DOPC.

2.

We shall,

I attach a draft for consideration. I presume, be preparing separate briefing for the Secretary of State to cover the presentation of the paper to DOPC,but I have not yet prepared such briefing since I think we must first know what the attitude of the other Departments concerned is going to be towards the recommendations in the attached draft. At our last meeting with them they were noncommittal on the subject. It was, I think, the understanding at the meeting that we would send copies of the draft to the Departments concerned for their comments and I accordingly attach also the draft of a letter from Sir L. Monson to Mr. Gwynn for this purpose. The last paragraph of the letter is a reference to the table enclosed with Mr. Gwynn's letter of 24 September. My reason for adding

it is the information given to DOPC by the then Defence Secretary when the Committee considered the terms of the current defence contribution agreement in October, 1966. I am not for one moment suggesting that we should allow this particular matter to affect the recommendations in the attached draft paper for DOPC, but the information which the last paragraph of the attached draft letter seeks might come in useful for briefing the Secretary of State and without it we cannot make a direct comparison between the figures in paragraphs 3 and 6 of the draft paper.

3. I was uncertain whether to include para 6(4) of the paper, but since the point was mentioned to the other departements at the discussions, I have put it is.

ANG.

(A.W. Gaminara)

3 December 1970