TNAG-0476-FCO40-541-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 33

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The Defence Review and its outcome will also have implications

for a wide variety of our political and economic interests, especially

our relations with our partners in the EFC. Some of our allies moreover

have put us on notice that they do not accept that we are bearing a

disproportionate share of the Alliance defence burden and will challenge

our methods of calculating our national effort.

47.

Scarcely less important than alterations in our force capabilities

themselves are the forms of consultation, presentation and phasing of

our plans. In particular the defence cuts must be presented with due

consideration for the West's negotiating position in MBFR. An announced

indication to cut UK efforts in support of NATO without reference to

the objectives which we and our allies have set ourselves in MBFR

could seriously undermine the cohesion of Western participants in the

negotiations, lead to uncoordinated unilateral Western reductions,

and remove the need for the Russians to accept reductions in their

own forces in order to secure large cuts in NATO forces.

48. The nature of our continuing contribution to NATO will have

political as well as strategic importance. The essentials should be

the vital British contribution to Alliance deterrence of general war

together with some capability for the use of limited forces in conditions

of violent peace. The aim should be to produce British and Alliance

forces that are visibly effective and versatile in role, taking account

of the longer term concept of balanced Alliance forces rather than

balanced national forces.

V.

49.

CONSIDERATIONS OF MORALE AND RECRUITING

The decisions of Ministers and the timing and manner of their

announcement could have a profound effect on the morale of the Services

and on recruiting. Recognising this, the Secretary of State for

Defence has said in the House of Commons that he has at the top of

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