TNAG-2122-FCO40-3028-Future-of-the-Brigade-of-Gurkhas-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 10

香港總督府

GOVERNMENT HOUSE

HONG KONG

26

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07 DEC 1990

PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL ́

AL_T

17 November 1990

Future of the Gurkhas

R74711 Miop Marsson Mr Stone 2914

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Thank you for your letter of 16 November which reached me today by fax.

On the basis of Timothy George's teleletter of 8 November, which alerted me to the fact that the Army Council was due to discuss the issue on 14 November, I did discuss with the CBF whether to intervene. I eventually concluded, on his advice, and also knowing from him that Mr Lennox-Boyd had written to the Minister of State in the MOD, that it would be better to see first what came out of the Army Council discussion and then to intervene, as necessary, before the matter was put to Ministers.

I understand from the CBF that the Army Council meeting was in the event postponed until 21 November. I shall hope to get a read-out from CBF and to decide then whether to comment.

I am grateful to you for copying to me the Lennox-Boyd/Hamilton exchange. I had not realised that the FCO intervention, based partly on my meeting with the Prime Minister in late June, had taken so long to surface. I had thought the intention was to intervene with the MOD in early summer. This raises the general point that it would be very helpful to be sent copies of exchanges such as this when they occur, and when they touch on Hong Kong matters in which I have been, or may be, involved.

/ 20/

A R Paul Esq

Hong Kong Department

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

Governor

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