TNAG-0617-FCO40-765-Strength-and-cost-of-UK-armed-forces-stationed-in-Hong-Kong-1977 — Page 183

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Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

Telephone 01-

My Enter-pa

Your reference

Mrs S M P Jones

DS5

Ministry of Defence

- 9FEB1977

Our reference

D/DS5/7/5/71

DPG 076/5

Jick 062/2

Date

8 February 1977

Cow Sandra,

HONG KONG SQUADRON DEPLOYMENTS

Thank you for your letter of 28 January and its enclosures about deployments by ships of the Hong Kong Squadron.

2. We agree with your draft letter to Captain Cobb commenting on CINCFLEET's proposed reply to CAPIC Hong Kong. But it would also be helpful to us when FCO clearance is being sought for future deployments by the Hong Kong Squadron to know that CAPIC's plans had previously been cleared with the Hong Kong Government. I therefore suggest that the last sentence of paragraph 3 of CINCFLEET's draft to CAPIC should read:

3.

"Programmes should normally be submitted three months in

advance, after prior clearance with the Hong Kong Government. **

So far as the draft background brief enclosed with your letter is concerned, we agree with Bob Longmire's comments in his letter of 2 February to you. In addition, we would prefer the deletion of the last two sentences of the eighth paragraph (wrongly numbered 7.like the preceeding paragraph). The first sentence of that para could perhaps be linked to the ninth paragraph thus:

"... progress being made.

visits

...

11

You's

But the resumption of RN Ship

التارت

Echward.

E Clay Defence Department

cc: Mr David, HKD

Mr Longmire, SEAD

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