TNAG-0478-FCO40-543-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 51

Mr Jackson

DEFENCE REVIEW: PREPARATION OF BRIEFS FOR CONSULTATION WITH

ALLIES ON NON-NATO COMMITMENTS

(Note by Ministry of Defence)

At its meeting on 18 September, the Defence and Oversea

Policy Committee agreed that officials should prepare briefs

for international consultations on the basis (inter alia)

"that we should withdraw our forces wholly from Cyprus; that

the Hong Kong Government would contribute not less than three-

quarters of the cost of a reduced garrison in the Colony and

that our other non-NATO and Mediterranean commitments should be

reduced as proposed in OPD (74)23 ....".

2.

There

Many of the arguments which will need to be included in

these briefs have been set out in the Defence Studies Working

Farty's report and that of the Defence Review Steering

Committee, and are generally accepted by Departments.

are, however, a number of points which merit some further

`discussions before briefs can be completed. This paper socks

the views of the Sub-Committee on these points, several of

which relate to continuance of consultative commitments and

have to be considered against the background of our

announced ministerial intention to "match the resources

likely to be available against the commitments we shall choose

to continue"

A

13.

SECRET