Mr Hunt, SAAD
From:
AJ Beamish
Date:
20 September 1991
ccs:
PS/PUS
Sir J Coles
Mr Broomfield
Mr Goulden
Mr A Burns
Sir A Watts
Mr Murray, LAD
Dr Heap, PRS, SAAD
DEFENCE OF THE REALM AND DEPENDENT TERRITORIES.
1. At the PUS's meeting this morning the question of the MOD's attitude to HMG's responsibility for defending our Dependent Territories was raised. Both the Defence Secretary and the Chief Secretary, in recent correspondence, suggested that the costs of maintaining HMS ENDURANCE or a successor should be borne on budgets other than those of the MOD.
2. Before the holidays, the Secretary of State invited the Defence Secretary to set out his ideas for defending our Dependent Territories following the Options for Change exercise. The Secretary for Defence has not responded to this general invitation, but there has been correspondence instead on the WIGS and ENDURANCE. No doubt the MOD prefer a salami approach. In practice, this has not been to our disadvantage. Unhandy manoeuvres by the MOD on ENDURANCE have elicited satisfactory responses from No 10. However, given the current suggestion that other Departments should pay for ENDURANCE or a successor, there would be merit in having it recorded clearly now, in inter-ministerial correspondence, that responsibility for defending the realm and the Dependent Territories falls squarely on the MOD budget. Sir A Watts has suggested that there may be points of constitutional law that could be invoked in support.
3. I should be grateful if you would draft a minute from the Secretary of State which would refer to his original proposal, note the Defence Secretary's and the Chief Secretary's remarks abount funding, make the point that our Dependent Territories require defending, that that task falls to the MOD and that the costs thereof should borne on the MOD budget and on no other.
PANANE
A J Beamish
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