TNAG-0478-FCO40-543-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 43

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DEFENCE REVIEW: THE TIMING AND MANNER OF CONSULTATION

(Note by the Ministry of Defence)

The tentative conclusions set out below are based on the assumption that a defence programme deriving fundamentally from the Critical Level will be approved by the Cabinet shortly after the Genera 1 Election. The pattern of consultation deduced in paragraph 9 derives from a number of conclusions set out, together with their supporting arguments, in paragraphs 2-

below.

8

2. These conclusions are:

3.

a.

t.

c.

d.

e.

at the outset of the process of consultation, or very shortly after, there will need to be a Parliamentary statement outlining the Government's provisional

conclusions on the Defence Review;

there would be advantage in consulting both the United States and the Federal German Republic

before beginning the process of formal consultation with NATO as a whole;

the process of consultation cannot realistically be . expected to begin before 12 November;

the pattern of consultation with non-NATO countries should be synchronised with the formal consultations with NATO;

there would be advantage in giving an exposition of our proposals at official level to the Americans and

separately West Germans/a few days in advance of substantive

Ministerial discussions;

f. similar considerations to e. apply to non-NATO

consultations.

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The basic reason for the conclusion at 2a. is that at some stage in the process of consultation, which is likely to last

/ten or

SECRET