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however, reply to enquiries about reinforcements by saying that the position as stated in the 1975 Defence Costs Agreement, that "the UK Government has confirmed that reinforcement of the
Garrison will be affected should circumstances so require", has
not changed.
5. I recommend that we should send a telegram to the Governor, amplified by a letter, on the lines of the attached drafts.
23 January 1978
J.0. B. Stent.
J A B Stewart
Hong Kong & General Dept
CC:
r
Mr Simons, SEAD
1.
Mr Simon's (into)
2. Mr Stewart:action.
I think this submission should deal only with the reinforcement issue. It is really for SEAD to take the lead with MOD on training facilities, on the basis of Norbury's letter, and to work out a line of approach to the Sultan if we have to give unilateral notice, etc, designed to safeguard MOD's needs. It would be as well to get this agreed soon with MOD as we may have very little time in hand once The Queen receives the Sultan's message.
2.
On reinforcement I think the draft telegram was inadequate. Norbury's letter misses the point, partly I suspect because we did not put it to MOD explicitly. As I see it Sir Murray MacLehose is worried about two things: speculation before we reach the crunch with the sultan, on which we can give him a line to take now, and the anxiety which will be caused if and when we have to announce that we will start to withdraw the Gurkhas in 1978. It is all very well for MOD to say that they would have a year to work out fresh reinforcement plans. This is true. But we and MOD will have to work out a detailed
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