TNAG-1514-FCO40-2072-Shipping-in-Hong-Kong-1986 — Page 13

CONFIDENTIAL

Paragraphs 36/37. Amendment accepted.

We

Paragraph 38. The various measures suggested here have been put forward following a discussion with the GCBS at which DNOT were represented.

do not have detailed planning for any of them, but clearly one feature would be that

that the least experienced staff would as far as possible be put in the least demanding jobs. This paragraph has been drafted with civil supply needs much more in mind than defence needs, since the latter are basically covered by UK-registered and manned ships and therefore by paragraph 37.

Paragraph 39. I would want to argue strongly for retaining this paragraph for the evidence for HCDC, and if it was given to them I think

I think it might be difficult to argue that it ought not to be published because it was speculative. It is a fact we have thought about the range of possible measures that could be adopted if defence needs could not be met from the Merchant Navy, and indeed I think the first bit of paper in which we set them down in 1983 was sent to DS5 and DS20 (as they were then).

Yours

sincerely

John Henes

J D HENES

CONFIDENTIAL