NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
W(B)L 51-7406
SECRET
3.
no more than undertake to pass on their
views to HMG.
3.
Paragraph 5 of your tel. No. 226.
Sir Albert is clearly referring to the new
arrangement replacing the 1969 Anglo-
German Offset agreement. This covers
"traditional" offset payments (ie a
continuation of the substantial German
purchases in the United Kingdom for goods
and services in the military and civil
fields) and provides that the German
Government shall pay HMG DM550 million
(about £62.5 m) in five equal annual
instalments. The instalments are subject
to a general understanding that the current
level of British Forces in Germany be
maintained "without any permanent
substantial change" (short term re-
deployment of units for eg training or
Northern Ireland, are excluded from this
proviso). The current strength of BAOR
is about 50,000, of whom some are in
Northern Ireland. There are also about
8,500 RAF personnel in Germany. The offset
arrangements are of course only a part of
the substantial contribution the Federal
German Government makes towards the costs
of British Forces in Germany. Under
the NATO Infrastructure arrangements
Germany as host country provides land,
access roads etc and other services free
for such things as RAF airfields, Army
/ammunition
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