TNAG-2122-FCO40-3028-Future-of-the-Brigade-of-Gurkhas-in-Hong-Kong-1990 — Page 2

CONFIDENTIAL

Foreign and Commonwealth Office

London SW1A 2AH

3 December 1990

Sir David Wilson KCMG

Governor of Hong Kong

Dear David,

FUTURE OF THE GURKHAS

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Thank you for your letter of 17 November. We look forward to your further comments on this issue in due course.

I take your point about copying to you Ministerial correspondence relating to Hong Kong. I think that, more often than not, this already happens, and quickly. But if there is scope for improvement, we shall endeavour to achieve this. I have had a word with David Colvin about

correspondence on Vietnamese boat people, and he has taken due

note.

I think I detected a note of concern in your letter about the time it took an FCO Minister to write to the MOD about the future of the Gurkhas. You might therefore appreciate a note of explanation. These issues were considered fully by the relevant Cabinet Committee prior to the Defence Secretary's statement on "options for change". The marker letter to the MOD was therefore more to reaffirm FCO (and your) concerns, of which the MOD were already aware, than a measure designed to influence current deliberations. The summer holidays (and subsequent Ministerial changes) affected Ministerial availability. It was then agreed, by those best placed to judge these matters, that it would be tactically sensible to aim to issue a Ministerial letter shortly before the new Parliamentary session, when a further statement on the "options for change" exercise could be expected.

I am therefore satisfied that the substance of your concern was addressed in what appeared to us to be the most effective way. The gap between your raising this with Ministers and the issuing of the Ministerial letter has in no way affected or undermined the Hong Kong interest in all this.

Yours Ever,

Flaw

A R Paul

CC: Mr McLaren

Mr Burns

Mr Williams, SAD

BODADI

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