TNAG-0538-FCO40-633-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 55

CONFIDENTIAL

CONFIDENTIAL

ANNEX D

to OPD(75)

THE DEFENCE REVIEW

CONSULTATIONS WITH ALLIES

Draft passage for inclusion in Chapter I of the

Statement on Defence Estimates, 1975

From early December detailed consultations have been

conducted with our NATO Allies in accordance with the procedures

laid down by the Alliance on such matters. After an extensive

political and military assessment of the Government's proposals

within NATO, the Alliance's views and suggestions have been conveyed

The Government has also carefully considered the

to us.

points made by our non-NATO Allies and partners in its consultations

with them since the 3rd December announcement before reaching final

decisions.

2. Our partners and associates outside NATO have noted our

proposals with some regrets but have in general accepted that they

are logical and in some degree inevitable. Detailed discussions

on the best way of effecting the withdrawals are in some cases still

proceeding, and we have been able to accept some minor adjustments

to the timetables we initially proposed in the interests of

minimising the transitional problems which our withdrawal will

create. Broadly however the effect of the consultations has been

to confirm the proposals announced on 3rd December.

3. Our NATO Allies have expressed sympathetic understanding of

our economic difficulties; but considerable disquiet at the scale

of our reductions in NATO and their effects on NATO's conventional

capability vis à vis the Warsaw Pact. But they have not suggested

that we should follow a different set of priorities within this

CONFIDENTIAL

D - 1

CONFIDENTIAL