TNAG-0843-FCO40-1053-Visit-of-Lord-Carrington--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-1979 — Page 50

CONFIDENTIAL

3.

-2-

items (eg the two companies from Brunei, whose full costs are now borne by the Sultan), the Defence Costs Agreement

formula is generally appropriate.

b) Possible changes in the package.

The Ministry of

Defence have taken the line that a battalion from the

United Kingdom can only be provided if it is changed

every 2 months. This is largely because unaccompanied

postings for longer than that would create serious morale

problems. The arrangement is scarcely ideal for Hong Kong: it

will be very expensive and the troops will be replaced almost

as soon as they have become acclimatised. The Governor would

therefore prefer either longer intervals between changes

or the use of the whole Gurkha battalion from Brunei (Gurkhas

are better than British soldiers in dealing with illegal

immigrants).

Neither problem had been resolved when this brief was

prepared (21 June). The Prime Minister has asked for the Secretary of State's views on costs, and has suggested that the United Kingdom

battalion might stay in Hong Kong for 4 months at a time.

Hong Kong and General Department

22 June 1979

CONFIDENTIAL