TNAG-0479-FCO40-544-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 19

6263 D.073530 202M 1/74 Cr.P.C, Gp. 839/3

File No.

Department

OUTWARD

HKIOD

Drafted by

A C STUART

TELEGRAM

(Block Capitals)

Tel. Extn..

FOR

COMMS. DEPT.

(Date).

USE

Despatched

(Time)

Ꮓ

Z

Distribution :-

Copies to :-

DESK BY

POSTBY

Security Classification SECRET

Precedence

PRIORITY

PREAMBLE

(Time of Origin)

Z(G.M.T.)

(Security Class.}

SECRET

(Restrictive Prefix). (Caveat!

Privacy Marking).

(Codeword)

(Deskby)

PRIORITY

TO

(precedence)

HONG KONG

(post)

Tel. No..

..of...

AND TO (precedence/post)

AND SAVING TO

REPEATED TO (for info)

SAVING TO (for info)

[TEXT]

XY 42

Z

N

Z

1.

Following for Governor only.

Defence Review: Hong Kong.

The Prime Minister will make a statement on

3 December containing the following passage on Hong

Kong:-

"There will be consultations with the Hong Kong Government about the level of forces appropriate in present circumstances and about how the cost of these forces should be divided in future."

2.

You may give Executive Council in confidence advance warning of this statement, and may add that it

is HMG's intention to hold these consultations later

in the year, probably in May, with a view to the entry into force of a new agreement in April 1976 when the present one expires.

3.

If Executive Council ask what HMG's line will be at these consultations, you should say that nothing

/has been