TNAG-1154-FCO40-1434-Visits-by-Members-of-Parliament-(MPs)-to-Hong-Kong-1982 — Page 269

CONFIDENTIAL

行政司署

香港下亞畢道

* OUR Ref.:

(22) in CR 13/5701/75

來函檔號 YOUR REF.:

R.D. Clift, Esq.

Hong Kong & General Department Foreign & Commonwealth Office

London

ENGLAND

40

GOVERNMENT SECRETARIAT

LOWER ALBERT ROAD

HONG KONG

Mr. William

Pl. speak Dis

10th May, 1982

R&R to me with refs

Jis.

.5

HICK

026/2

Sea sick.

Visit of Select Committee on Defence

to Hong Kong

160 2015

See (41)

I have been discussing with John Chapple, the arrangements for the visit by the Select Committee on Defence between 8th and 13th July, about which Patrick Williamson wrote on 14th April.

2.

ник 3154814

(40)

1975

39

We had a similar visit in the autumn of 1975, just before the 1976 Defence Costs Agreement was concluded (your telegram 506 of 26th June 1975 and others refer). On that occasion we were successful in ensuring that the Select Committee was seen locally as primarily concentrating its interests on HM Forces. We suggest we should do the same on this visit. Would it therefore be possible for you in conjunction with MOD and, if appropriate, with the Clerk to the Committee, House of Commons, to start to do this?

3. The Committee has wide terms of reference, but we are anxious to avoid its visit here to spark off conjecture or comment that the current and future roles of the British Forces and the Defence Costs Agreement, to quote paragraph 6 of Douglas Millar's letter of the 6th April, are now being examined by a Select Committee.

attached to (39)

4. As you know the HKG/HQBF study of the size and content of the garrison in 1979, which was approved by the Chiefs of Staff in 1980, is the definitive document covering the current and future roles of HM Forces. The DCA concluded in October 1980 and which came into effect for 7 years on 1st April, 1981, represents the existing agreement between Hong Kong and HM Governments. In his main briefing, CBF will bring this out and in the calls on the Chief Secretary and lunch with the Governor we will advise that they do the same.

CONFIDENTIAL

./.

....

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