TNAG-0757-FCO40-961-Strength-of-UK-armed-forces-stationed-in-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 180

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Negotiations with the Sultan of Brunei

6.

Negotiations with the Sultan of Brunei are due to resume in London on

12 June. The FCO believe that these talks are unlikely to be conclusive,

but they hope that a new Anglo-Brunei Treaty of Friendship will result in

due course, and, associated with it, provision for a Gurkha battalion to be

stationed in Brunei for a further period of up to 5 years.

The Current Problem and its Solution

7. The process of amalgamation and rundown takes some 12 months to plan

and implement. We have therefore, already passed the point at which it would

still be possible to honour our commitment in respect of the Gurkhas in the

1974 Defence Review. We need to be able to regularise the situation, to Parliament,

to the public, and to the Gurkhas themselves. We will also, of course, need

to inform the Government of Nepal.

8.

In these circumstances, the MOD wish to retain the Brigade of Gurkhas

at the present level of five battalions, deployed and paid for as set out in

paragraphs 3 and 4, until at least 12 months after the Brunei commitment

ceases, whenever that may be. We have already embarked upon a thorough

examination of Gurkha manpower, which is likely to result in economies and

there is a strong possibility that a five-battalion Brigade can be supported

by a trained adult strength of several hundreds less than the present

establishment of 7000]. DS7 to add a sentence on the cost of the UK

battalion_7.

9.

I do not believe that the continued retention of a Brigade of Gurkhan

of this size and strength will cause any significant parliamentary or public

concern; the Government of Nepal can also be expected to acquiesce. Because

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