NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
SECRET
have
paid
This is just
NOT
true
What ever
G1 P. Sail
F
purpose of the fence was to cope with a possible
influx of refugees. In other words the fence
was really constructed as an anti-illegal immigrant
measure and indeed it is described as such in
paragraph 7 of Annex B to the Hong Kong paper
"Implementation of the Land Border Policy" sent
to us with Pierce's letter of 11 January 1971.
(I am grading this letter 'secret' because of
this reference.) The MOD will certainly not agree
to accept any part of its cost as a charge against
their vote and we feel bound to share their view
Indeed we do not consider it to be a
on this.
proper charge against HMG at all and we do not
expect to get much sympathy from the Treasury
when we broach the subject with them.
6. At the same time, regardless of the above
comments and of what your own views may be on the
subject, we are only too conscious of the likely
reaction of your Finance Committee to any
application for the necessary funds - assuming that
such an application could not be avoided. Coming
so soon after the conclusion of the negotiations
over the defence contribution, any such request
would, we assume, encounter the most jaundiced
reactions from the members of that Committee.
7. Work on Border Posts (Operation "Highland
Bonnet"). The second of the outstanding items
involves a sum of £20,691 spent by the Services
on stores required for refurbishing certain border
posts in connection with the 1967 disturbances.
This item has been the subject of correspondence
SECRET
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