TNAG-0480-FCO40-545-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1974 — Page 32

CONFIDENTIAL

Our reference: AUS(GS) 472/74 Your reference:

From: J.D.Bryars, AUS (GS)

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE Main Building, Whitehall, LONDON S.W.I

Telephone:

01-218 .6476.... (Direct Dialling)

01 - 218 9000 (Switchboard)

A.C.Stuart, Esq.,

Hong Kong & Indian Ocean Department Foreign and Commonwealth Office King Charles Street

SW1A 2AH

Dean Stuart

20 December 1974

VISIT TO HONG KONG

259

PA 6/12

It may be helpful if I summarise the arrangements so far made for our visit to Hong Kong in January.

The Party

2.

This will consist, in addition to yourself and myself, of Commodore Perowne, Mr. Thorpe, Mr. Jones, Colonel Chapple of the General Staff, Mr. Hansford and Mr. Dinwiduie.

Travel

3. We depart from the UK (RAF Brize Norton) on Flight 2040 at 0600Z on Sunday 5 January and return on RAF Flight 2001, which leaves Hong Kong at 1620 local time on Friday, 10 January and will arrive at Brize Norton at 0800 Saturday 11 January.

4.

I much regret that these arrangements cut into two weekends but because of official commitments of some of our party (and the timescale the Governor had in mind for discussion) it makes this unfortunate feature of our arrangements inevitable.

5. Accommodation for the night of Saturday 4 January in the Transit Hotel at Brize Norton has been reserved for all our party. Travel to Brize Norton should, I suggest, be under our own arrange- ments. There are I believe facilities for parking private cars at Brize Norton for those who would wish to travel by road. The most convenient railway station is Swindon and I am told that for those arriving before 2200 hours on Saturday there would be a regular bus service to take them to Brize Norton. I would intend to travel by this means myself.

Accommodation in Hong Kong.

6.

This is being arranged by us for the whole party through CBF Hong Kong. We are sorting out whether payment can be made through CBF or whether we should take our own money for this purpose. Major Lowles of DS6 will be in touch separately.

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CONFIDENTIAL