E) THE DEFENCE REVIEW DECISIONS WOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING EFFECT ON SERVICE MANPOWER. NAVY AND ROYAL MARINES - A REDUCTION OF TWELVE THOUSAND BUT ONLY ONE THOUSAND ACTUAL REDUNDANCIES. THE REST
ACCOUNTED FOR BY NATURAL WASTAGE AND SELECTIVE RECRUITMENT. RAF - EIGHTEEN THOUSAND INVOLVING FOUR THOUSAND REDUNDANCIES ARMY FIFTEEN THOUSAND, INVOLVING SIX THOUSAND REDUNDANCIES. THIS ARMY FIGURE COMPARES WITH A TWELVE THOUSAND REDUCTION ENVISAGED. IN THE
ORIGINAL PROPOSALS OF DECEMBER THREE.
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SUMMING UP, MR MASON SAID BRITISH DEFENCE COMMITMENTS WOULD
GIVE PRIORITY TO NATO AS OUR DAYS OF INTERNATIONAL POLICEMAN
OF THE WORLD WERE NOW OVER.
P IN THE QUESTION AND ANSWER SESSION THAT FOLLOWED, MR MASON WAS ASKED WHETHER IN THE CONTINUING CONSULTATIONS WITH NATO OF WAYS OF
MITIGATING THE CHANGES, THE MEDITERRANEAN WOULD BE COVERED. HE REPLIED THE GOVERNMENT WAS READY TO TAKE PART IN PERIODIC NATO
MARITIME EXERCISES IN THE AREA AND IN THE NATO ON CALL FORCE
IN THE MEDITERRANEAN.
SEATO, CENTO
ASKED HOW UK RECONCILED ITS CONTINUED MEMBERSHIP OF SEATO AND CENTO WITH ITS PLANNED WITHDRAWALS, HE SAID UK WOULD REMAIN MEMBERS
WITHOUT COMMITTING FORCES TO EITHER. FOLLOWING THE WITHDRAWAL EAST
OF THE CAPE, THERE WOULD STILL BE PERIODIC EXERCISES WITH BRITAIN'S CENTO AND SEATO ALLIES. HE ADDED, WITH REFERENCE TO THE FAR EAST
THAT THE UK STILL HAD A ROLE IN HONG KONG FOR SOME YEARS TO
THOUGH THE LEVEL OF FORCES WOULD BE REDUCED.
AREA,
COME,
SOUTH AFRICA
ASKED WHETHER BUCCANEER AIRCRAFT WOULD BE SOLD TO SOUTH AFRICA,
MR. MASON REPLIED THAT THEY WOULD NOT BE. IN RESPONSE TO A FURTHER
QUESTION ABOUT HOW FAR THE GOVERNMENT HAD GOT IN ITS NEGOTIATIONS
WITH SOUTH AFRICA OVER SIMONSTOWN, MR. MASON SAID THIS WAS A MATTER FOR FCO AND HE COULD NOT SPEAK FOR THAT DEPARTMENT, THOUGH THE FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH SECRETARY HAD LET IT BE KNOWN THAT THE
GOVERNMENT INTENDED TO ENTER INTO DISCUSSIONS WITH THE SOUTH AFRICAN
GOVERNMENT WITH A VIEW TO TERMINATING THE AGREEMENT.
MART
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