TNAG-0536-FCO40-631-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 80

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APPENDIX 1 TO ANNEK C TO

HK 10039/1 G SD DATED /O JANUARY 1975

VERBAL ANSWERS BY MOD UK TEAM TO WRITTEN ANSWERS

1.

The MOD UK Team gave the following verbal answers arising from queries from the Hong Kong Government from the written answers supplied at References A B and C.

2.

3.

4.

General

3,+

Income Tax. The approximate total amount of income tax, at present rates of taxation, forecast to be paid by British and Gurkha Servicemen for the reduced Garrison is expected to be in the order of £1.3M

b. Captitation Rates. Pensions are not included in capitation rates since they are paid out of a different vote. They are not included in any costing given to the Hong Kong Government for the proposed Garrison.

Naval Expenditure (Reference A, Annex A)

Armaments. The figures for this amount include ammunition, armaments and spares.

b. Fleet Maintenance Unit. The cost of deployment of The Fleet Maintenance Unit from the United Kingdom covers the bringing of specialist personnel out to maintain the Frigate and their element of pay whilst in Hong Kong. This is cheaper than keeping the manpower stationed in Hong Kong.

C. Prices for Fatrol Craft 1979/80, 80/81. The rise of the figures from £.1M to 2:2 is accounted for entirely by the need to refurbish the weapons system.

d.

Contract Maintenance. The fluctuation in these figures is entirely due to programmed periodic maintenance (this answer to be confirmed).

Summary of Army Manpower Costs (Reference A, Annex B)

a. Gurkha Figures. It was pointed out that the Gurkha numbers included the leave element in Nepal, (about 1) but not the Gurkha soldiers on leave in Nepal from Brunei or the United Kingdom.

b. Inter/Intra Theatre Movement Costs. It was stated that a more correct expression for Serial 4, Summary of Costs, Annex B would be intra/inter theatre movement costs.

C. Hirings.

The MOD UK Team undertook to re-oxamine the cost of hirings for the year 1976 onwards, to ascertain whether this figure

vas too high.

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