TNAG-0540-FCO40-635-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 188

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WED SEED

VERBATIM SERVICE 065/75

DEFENCE WHITE PAPER:

NO DISTRIBUTION

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WEDNESDAY

MASON PRESS CONFERENCE

19TH MARCH 1975

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Mr Thomson FOLLOWING, FOR YOUR INFORMATION AND USE AT DISCRETION, ARE THE MAIN POINTS OF AN ATTRIBUTABLE PRESS CONFERENCE GIVEN BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE MR ROY MASON IN LONDON TODAY WEDNES- DAY NINETEEN MARCH FOLLOWING THE PUBLICATION OF THE GOVERNMENT DEFENCE WHITE PAPER.

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IN HIS OPENING STATEMENT MR MASON MADE THE FOLLOWING GENERAL POINTS:

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A) THE WHITE PAPER, WHICH CONVERTS THE GOVERNMENT'S ORIGINAL DEFENCE PROPOSALS OF DECEMBER THREE INTO FIRM DECISIONS FOLLOWING EXTENSIVE CONSULTATIONS WITH NATO AND NON NATO ALLIES, SHOWS IN DETAIL HOW THE GOVERNMENT IS TO PUT INTO EFFECT ITS ELECTION PLEDGE TO REDUCE PROGRESSIVELY THE BURDEN OF BRITAIN'S DEFENCE SPENDING TO BRING COSTS INTO LINE WITH THOSE CARRIED BY THE UK'S MAIN EUROPEAN ALLIES, INVOLVING SAVINGS OF SEVERAL HUNDRED MILLION POUNDS A YEAR OVER A PERIOD.

B) CURRENT ECONOMIC CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD HAVE FORCED ANY UK GOVERN- MENT TO CARRY OUT THE SAVINGS. QUITE APART FROM THE BALANCE OF PAYMENTS DEFICIT CAUSED BY THE RISING PRICE OF IMPORTED OIL, THE NON-OIL BALANCE OF PAYMENTS ALONE WOULD HAVE MADE A GOVERNMENT MAKE DEFENCE SAVINGS.

C) THERE WAS AN URGENT NEED TO SURVEY BRITAIN'S WORLD-WIDE MILITARY COMMITMENTS. SUCH A SURVEY WAS INEVITABLE AND EXPECTED. THE DEFENCE REVIEW BEGUN BY THE GOVERNMENT TWELVE MONTHS AGO HAD INVOLVED AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF WORK AND STUDY ON THIS.

D) THOUGH BRITAIN'S NATO ALLIES HAD VOICED CONCERN OVER THE OVERALL SCALE OF THE REDUCTIONS INVOLVED, PARTICULARLY ON THE POSSIBLE EFFECT ON THE SOUTHERN FLANK, THEY HAD NOT QUESTIONED THE GOVERNMENT'S JUDGMENT OF PRIORITIES - CONCENTRATING ON THE CENTRAL GEGION, EASTERN ATLANTIC AND CHANNEL AREAS, THE UK AND ITS IMMEDIATE APPROACHES AND MAINTAINING THE EFFECTIVENESS OF BRITAIN'S CONTRIBUTION TO THE WESTERN STRATEGIC DETERRENT. THE BROAD STRATEGIC DECISIONS REMAIN THE SAME," HE SAID. THE GOVERN- MENT HAD ALSO RESPONDED FAIRLY TO NATO SUGGESTIONS OF CHANGES IN THE DETAIL OF SOME OF THE ORIGINAL PROPOSALS AND WERE READY TO STUDY CERTAIN OTHER COMPENSATORY MEASURES - ON THE UNDER- STANDING THAT THERE COULD BE NO INCREASE IN THE FUTURE LEVWLS OF DEFENCE/SPENDING ALREADY DECIDED BY THE GOVERNMENT.

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