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RECEIVED IN REGISTRY No, 50
*6 1975
TOP COPY
TO PRIORITY HONG KONG TEL NO 472 OF 13 JUNE
YOUR TELNO 564: COLONIAL DEFENCE CONTRIBUTIONS,
(HRIOD)
LACT
REI
NEX
REA
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(12)
1. THE ONLY OTHER DEPENDENT TERRITORIES IN WHICH UK FORCES ARE NOW STATIONED ARE GIBRALTAR (ABOUT 2,000), BELIZE (550-600), THE FALK- LAND ISLANDS (37) AND BERMUDA (THROUGH THE FORTUITIOUS PRESENCE OF THE SENIOR NAVAL OFFICER, WEST INDIES). NONE OF THESE MAKES ANY APPRECIABLE DEFENCE CONTRIBUTION BUT GIBRALTAR PAYS A NOMIAL SUM (£5,500 PER ANNUM) TOWARDS THE COST OF THE GIBRALTAR REGIMENT: THE FALKLAND ISLANDS MAINTAINS AT ITS OWN EXPENSE A SMALL LIGHTLY ARMED VOLUNTEER FORCE: AND BERMUDA HAS BEEN PAYING £6,000 PER ANNUM TOWARDS THE COST OF THE 1968 SECURITY OPERATION (THE FINAL PAYMENT BEING MADE THIS YEAR).
2. NONE WOULD BE REGARDED HERE AS PROVIDING AN ANALOGY WITH HONG KONG SHOULD UNELCO PRESS THIS MATTER FURTHER, PLEASE EXPLAIN THAT IN OUR VIEW THE AIM OF THE FORTHCOMING NEGOTIATIONS SHOULD BE TO FIND
A LEVEL OF CONTRIBUTION APPROPRIATE TO HONG KONG. APPLICATION OF THE SAME PRINCIPLE TO OTHER, MUCH SMALLER AND GENERALLY POORER TERRITIORIES HAS RESULTED IN THEIR NOT BEING ASKED TO BEAR ANY SIGNIFICANT PART OF THE BURDEN. GIBRALTAR, BELIZE AND THE FALKLAND ISLANDS ARE ALL RECEIVING RELATIVELY SUBSTANTIAL UK AID AND IT WOULD BE UNREASONABLE TO REQUIRE A DEFENCE CONTRIBUTION IN THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. IT MUST ALSO BE REMEMBERED THAT THE FULL COST
OF UK FORCES STATIONED IN BRUNEI IS MET BY THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT.
CALLAGHAN
FILES
HRIOD (4)
GG D
STRD WATSON
MR THOMSON
SED
WIAD
SWPD
CARIBBEAN DEFENCED MR MALE
MR WILFORD
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