GRS 300
CYPHER CAT/A
FM HONG KONG 17030OZ
SECRET
SECRET
RECEIVED IN
REGISTRY No. 50
17 MÁR 1975
•NICK10/1
TOP COPY
TO ROUTINE F C O TELEGRAM NUMBER 257 OF 17 MARCH.
(123) 6729
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BD
18/3
DEFENCE REVIEW.
THE WORKING PARTY HAVE DONE A GOOD JOB AND I HOPE YOU WILL
FIND THEIR REPORT OF VALUE, AS I HAVE.
2. IT HAS CONSIDERABLY CLARIFIED THE RESPECTIVE ROLES OF THE POLICE AND THE GARRISON AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH THE
FORMER WOULD NEED SUPPORT FROM THE LATTER, AND THE DEGREE OF
RISK IN ACCEPTING A GARRISON OF LESS THAN THE PREFERRED LEVEL OF 5 2/3 MAJOR UNITS. THEY HAVE ALSO SET OUT VARIOUS COSTED
MODEL GARRISONS AND THE CIRCUMSTANCES IN WHICH EACH MODEL
WOULD AND WOULD NOT BE EFFECTIVE, AND IN THE LATTER CASE HOW
LIKELY THOSE CIRCUMSTANCES WERE.
3. IMAGINE WE WILL ALL NOW WANT TO REFLECT ON THIS NEW PRESENTATION, WITH A VIEW TO REACHING AGREEMENT SOME TIME
AFTER THE MIDDLE OF MAY.
4. HITHERTO I HAVE CONSISTENTLY ADVISED THAT THE MAXIMUM THAT
IT WOULD BE POSSIBLE TO OBTAIN FROM HONG KONG IN BUDGETARY AND POLITICAL TERMS WOULD BE £17M, OR DOUBLE THE FORMER CONTRIBUTION: AND THAT A 50/50 SPLIT WOULD BE PRESENTATIONALLY THE MOST ACCEPTABLE HERE, AND WOULD HAVE THE ADVANTAGE OF BLOCKING FINANCE COMMITTEE HERE FROM CLAIMING THE LAST WORD ON STANDARDS AS THEY
MIGHT DO IF HONG KONG BECAME THE MAJOR CONTRIBUTOR.
5. HOWEVER THESE VIEWS HAVE BEEN MY OWN.
APPROACHING THE FINAL STAGE I PROPOSE TO
NOW THAT WE ARE
SOUND OUT UNOFFICIALS
MUCH MORE SPECIFICALLY THAN I HAVE FELT ABLE TO DO HITHERTO, BOTH AS TO THE SIZE OF THE GARRISON THEY BELIEVE WOULD BE ADEQUATE AND WOULD BE ACCEPTED AS ADEQUATE BY THE PUBLIC AGAINST
THE BACKGROUND OF THE RELATED FINANCIAL IMPLICATIONS.
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