NOTHING TO BE WRITTEN IN THIS MARGIN
Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
DRAFT
CONFIDENTIAL
Type 1 +
FROM
To:-
Mr Larmour
f
Top Secret.
1.
Sir D Watson/Mr King (ODA)
Telephone No. Ext.
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted.
2.
Mr Coles/Mr Freeman (ODA)
Department
Unclassified.
3. Mr Grattan
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
Secretary of
State
Copy for
information to Mr Elliott
[Shy ]
[they]
[H]
FCO/ODA PAR 1973: FUTURE OF THE DEPENDENT TERRIORIES
The Defence and Oversea Policy Committee will
have before them
1.
2.
(a) the Memorandum which you enproved on
(b)
9 January (DOP(74)3);
the PAR itself, as enclosure to the
Memorandum;
(c) the CFRS commentary (DOP(74)7).
Political conclusions. We have already decided
to maintain the status quo in Hong Kong; and the
Antarctic Treaty 'freezes' our sovereignty over
British Antarctica until 1991. It is likely to be ir
our strategic and communications interests to hang
onto British Indian Ocean Territory, St Helena and
Dependencies (particularly Ascension) and, probably.
the Falkland Island Dependencies - and perhaps also
to a suitably located Pacific island. It is possible
that seabed resources round other islands may
include oil and/or strategic minerals, which could
change the balance of advantage in favour of
retention. The territory-by-territory studies pro-
posed for 1974 should provide the basis for more
definite policy judgements. Elsewhere, however, we
may have to accept the motto: "it is more blessed to
go than to be pushed".
CONFIDENTIAL
Indeed in most of the other
/territories
(17260) Dd.897459 400m 12/72 G.W.B.Ltd. Gp.863 (16940) Dd.897300 400m G.W.B.Ltd.
9/72
Gp.863
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.