Paragraph 59
COARDRY
A I have mentioned, the dependent territories were
a very high priority among these commitments.
We shall
continue to maintain substantial forces in Hong Kong,
though we are at the same time seeking to reduce their cost
to the Defence Budget. We hope to do this in two ways
by making some reduction in the size of our forces and by
persuading the Hong Kong Government to bear a larger part
of the cost. In advance of negotiations with them the
House will not, I hope, expect me to go into detail.
In Gibraltar, Belize and the Falkland Islands while
disputes over sovereignty are still unsettled we shall
continue to station (some forces as at present.
Cur main economies outside NATO are concentrated on
the Indian Ocean and Far East. When we have withdrawn
from the latter we shall no longer need our staging post
at Gan, and while ships may continue to visit the area
from time to time we what can no longer justify the
communications station at Mauritius, some of whose task
will we hope be carried out by the Skynet satellite which
was recently successfully launched and placed in orbit,
when it becomes operational early next year.
We also intend to make some reductions in our forces
stationed in Sovereign Base Areas in Cyprus, and as the
Military Facilities Agreement with Malta nears its
termination date, we shall gradually run down the forces
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.