TNAG-0544-FCO40-639-Strength-of-garrison-in-Hong-Kong-1975 — Page 119

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(a) Gun Club Barracks:

have to be retained.

for various reasons this would

(b) Kai Tak: this would be a prime area for release

from the Hong Kong Government's point of view. But the UK would only agree to this subject to two main

conditions:

10.

(၁)

(i) that the helicopter squadron should be

reprovisioned at Sek Kong at an estimated cost of $55m, and

(ii) that the Hong Kong Government was prepared to

accept a lower standard of security at the airport as a result of the move.

Stonecutters Island: the only obstacle to release

of the Island was the difficulty of relocating the ammunition dump which was estimated to cost $50 to $60m to reprovision.

(a) HMS Tamar and

(e) Victoria Barracks: at least one of these should be

retained, probably HMS Tamar, but over a longer period (ten years at least), there could be a steady run down of Victoria Barracks with appropriate reprovisioning in Tamar and elsewhere.

Commodore Perowne agreed that the Colonial Secretary had given a full summary of the proceedings and added that it had always been his understanding that the installations at Kai Tak

rated as a high security priority with the Hong Kong Government. CBF said that Kai Tak could be released but that he could not go so far as to say this was acceptable without considering the implications further. He thought a move could be more expensive than the $55m quoted and would result in lower standards of living and working conditions. He had not had the opportunity

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