TNAG-0536-FCO40-631-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 81

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pital Building Programme

Carry Over Projects.

These were projects which it had been hoped to complete in the current

5 year Defence Costs Agreement but which for various reasons, it had

not been possible to complete. Therefore the requirement had been carried forward to the next Defence Costs Agreement.

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British Military Hospital.

The S of S explained that it would be very hard, presentationally, to show that, although the Hong Kong Government was paying 75% of the costs of the Hospital, there was an under-utilization of bedspaces. The MOD UK Team explained that:

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Although in theory a reduction of the costs of the BMH should be proportional to the reduction to the present and proposed Garrison, it was still necessary to maintain the full range of specialists.

There was a continuing requirement for use of the hospital by the additional Gurkha Battalion.

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It was difficult to foresee how the use of the Hong Kong Civilian medical facilities should be used by service personnel. Reliance by British troops on local rather than BH facilities would raise problems. It was hoped that progress could be made in examining how the use of the under-utilized capacity in the El could be made available to, the Hong Kong Government.

Command and Control Arrangements. The MOD UK Team explained the new Command Structure for the proposed Garrison had been a genuine attempt to ensure that the command and control arrangements were provided in the most economical way. Further, once the proposed system of command and control had been implemented, it would be subject to establishment reviews from which further economies may result.

8. Costs Borne by UK Government. It was explained to the Hong Kong Government that training costs, higher formation costs, and the penalty of having capital tied up in stocks and stores in Hong Kong, had not been included in the costings figures given to the Hong Kong Government.

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