TNAG-2677-FCO40-3874-Hong-Kong-garrison-withdrawal-plan-1993 — Page 235

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30 JUL 1993

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HONG KONG: THE FUTURE OF THE BRITISH GARRISON

I have seen the joint paper by Douglas Hurd and Malcolm Rifkind on the future of the British Garrison in Hong Kong (OPDK (93)8).

29

I am content for the Garrison to be reduced by September 1994 to a

core of a single infantry battalion.

I am, however, not prepared to accept the additional costs which Malcolm's proposal would bring (up to £30 million over the next

5 years). It is not acceptable that the change should

should produce large savings for the Hong Kong Government but increased

expenditure for the UK Government. I note that Malcolm offers

assurances that he will absorb these costs within his existing spending plans; and, of course, we will be looking during the Survey for options to reduce departmental programmes in order to deliver the remit agreed by Cabinet.

no

I would be grateful, therefore, if Malcolm would consider the following alternative ways of implementing his proposal.

The first is that the infantry battalion withdrawn should in effect be disbanded with consequential savings for Our Defence

budget.

The second is that, instead of withdrawing the UK battalion from

September 1994 to September 1996, it should be withdrawn only