TNAG-2675-FCO40-3872-Hong-Kong-garrison-withdrawal-plan-1993 — Page 89

GOVERMENT HOUSE HONG KONG.

NED 14 APR 93 09:43

PG.13

Page

11.

SECRET

The Governor said that his instinct was that we should secure financial provision on a year-on-year basis S for S said that a if we knew the scale of the rundown.

recent statement on the withdrawal pattern would be needed. He envisaged that the public would soon question the size of the Garrison and the number of helicopters. China would also ask how the Garrison was to be reduced, Mr. Rifkind said that he would give more thought to

He amount of information to be issued to the public. would aim to complete the review by May or June this year. The Governor replied that if this was to be the

¡ case, we would have to:

(a)

(b)

tell China through the Embassy in Peking;

start a dialogue with China on the handover.

He added that defence lands remained unresolved, but he would take this up on another front.

12.

S for S said that an early decision on the rundown would help with our preparation of the estimates and our briefing to LegCo members on the future of the Garrison.

Passports

13.

The Governor said that we had a ceiling of 7,000 in the DSc category. In the first phase, the quota was allocated in proportion to strength.

In the second

phase, he proposed that half of the quota would still relate to the strength of individual disciplinary forces and the other half in proportion to the number of applications received in the first phase. arrangement might not be very popular with the Police but could increase the quota for the Garrison. noted this.

This

Mr. Rifkind

14.

The Governor also said that HKG might have to approach the Home Office in future for flexibility if we were left with problems in some areas.

The overall

ceiling for the BNS was 225,000 persons or 5,000

⠀ families. However as the size of families in Hong Kong had decreased, the maximum number of people which could be accepted under the scheme would only be 180,000 people according to the current size of families in Hong Kong. After further discussion, the Governor said that it might be necessary for a review to be done to adjust the categories and approach London.

SECRET

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