TNAG-0309-FCO40-345-Contributions-of-Hong-Kong-for-costs-of-maintaining-military-1971 — Page 14

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CYPHER CAT/A

RECOVED IN

126.

REGISTRY No.51

BỊ HONG KONG 03/93322

5 AUG 1971

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HKKIO/G

TO F.C.0. TELEGRAM NUMBER 528 OF 3 AUGUST 1971.

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YOUR TELEGRAM NO. 553 TO ME: DEFENCE CONTRIBUTION,

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1 AM, AS YOU SAY, DISAPPOINTED THAT MY ADVICE IN THIS MATTER HAS BEEN REJECTED, AND THAT A SOLUTION WHICH I BELIEVE MIGHT AT LEAST HAVE OBTAINED MAJORITY SUPPORT IN EXECUTIVE COUNCIL HAS NOT

FOUND FAVOUR.

2. WOULD YOU PLEASE CLARIFY THE FIGURES IN YOUR PARAGRAPH 2. THE 5-YEAR CAPITAL WORKS PROGRAMME HAS BEEN SAID TO REQUIRE £17 MILLIONS TO COMPLETE, NOT £15 MILLIONS. THIS INCREASES THE ANNUAL CAPITAL FIGURES (IF THE DIFFERENCES OF £2 MILLIONS IS EVENLY SPREAD) TO 22.9N SEMICOLON £2.9M SEMICOLON £3.4M SEMICOLON £3.9M SEMICOLON £3.9M AND REDUCES THE ANNUAL CASH AMOUNTS TO £1.9M SEMICOLON £2.4M SEMICOLON £2.4M SEMICOLON £2.4M SEMICOLON

£2.9M.

3. PLEASE CONFIRM THAT TWO FURTHER CONDITIONS WHICH HAVE BEEN PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED MAY BE INCLUDED:-

(A) THAT IN AUTHORIZING CAPITAL WORKS MAINTENANCE SCALES, AND MINOR WORKS THE SAME CRITERIA AND CONTROLS WOULD BE EXERCISED AS IF HMG

WERE PAYING SEMICOLON AND

(3) CONFIRMATION THAT ANY UNDERSPENDING IN THE CAPITAL WORKS PROGRAMME OVER THE WHOLE PERIOD, FOR ANY REASON, WOULD NOT RESULT IN ANY INCREASE IN THE CASH CONTRIBUTION,

4. I WILL NOW CONSIDER HOW TO PROCEED SEMICOLON BUT THE SITUATION IS MADE MORE COMPLICATED BY THE NUMBER OF SUBSTANTIVE MEMBERS WHO ARE PRESENTLY ABSENT FROM THE COLONY.

/5. I AM

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