TNAG-2122-FCO40-3028-Future-of-the-Brigade-of-Gurkhas-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 19

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a M. McLaren пи-вити

MINISTER OF STATE FOR

THE ARMED FORCES

NPDD

SEAD

HKD

D/MIN(AF)/AH/6/4/1

SECRET

SECRET

MINISTRY OF DEFENCE

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MAIN BUILDING WHITEHALL LONDON SW1A 2HB

Telephone 01-218 2216 (Direct Dialling)

01-218 9000 (Switchboard)

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Dear Mark

HKC 062/5

9 November 1990

ps/un Lennox-Bond.

Thank you for your letter of 22 October on the subject of the future of the Brigade of Gurkhas.

It is indeed the case that we are looking again at the long-term future of the Brigade as part of our work on Options for Change. When George Younger announced last year that it was our intention to retain a force of about 4,000 Gurkhas beyond 1997, he made clear that "major changes in the interim, particularly in the size of the British Army as a whole require us to reconsider." This is precisely the position in which we now find ourselves. The extent of the changes flowing from Options is such that it would be neither sensible nor appropriate to exclude any part of the Army from our present deliberations.

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I am very well aware of the importance attached by the Gurkhas themselves to last year's statement and that the future of the Brigade raises difficult political, operational and financial considerations. I recognise too that there could well be implications for our relations with both Brunei and Nepal as well as for Hong Kong. Any change of policy will need to be very carefully handled. But the Army faces a very testing time over the next few years as it reduces in size. It is inevitable that units will have to be disbanded and we shall need to think very carefully about the balance between United Kingdom and Gurkha Battalions to ensure that the smaller Army is able to deliver the range of operational capabilities we are likely to need as efficiently and cost effectively as possible.

It is likely to be some time before we are in a position to draw any firm conclusions from this work, but we shall, of course, consult fully with you and with other interested Departments before we put any proposals before OD.

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Mark Lennox-Boyd Pse MP

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