ENG-1976 — Page 243

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The Armed Services and Auxiliary Services

THE British Army, Navy and Air Force are all represented in Hong Kong under the overall command of the Commander British Forces, Lieutenant-General Sir John Archer.

The Commander British Forces advises the Governor on matters affecting the security of Hong Kong and is responsible to the Chief of Defence Staff in London. The Armed Forces are stationed in Hong Kong primarily to assist the government in maintaining security and stability and to sustain confidence in the United Kingdom's intention to maintain the British position in Hong Kong.

The size and composition of the garrison, and the contribution Hong Kong makes towards the cost of maintaining it, are determined by agreement between the Hong Kong and British governments. A new Defence Costs Agreement came into effect on April 1, 1976 and will run for seven years. Under its terms the garrison will comprise five Royal Navy patrol craft, one United Kingdom and three Gurkha infantry battalions, a Gurkha engineer squadron and a squadron of Royal Air Force Wessex helicopters, plus the necessary support elements. Britain has under- taken to reinforce these forces should the circumstances so dictate.

The annual cost of the garrison is estimated to be $450 million at September 1975 prices, and of this the Hong Kong Government is to pay 50 per cent in 1976-7, 621⁄2 per cent in 1977-8, and 75 per cent in 1978-9 and the four subsequent years. The increase in contribution beyond 50 per cent is conditional on the Services releasing to the Hong Kong Government about 250 acres of land. For its part, the Hong Kong Government has agreed, where necessary, to reprovide the essential facilities in other Service establishments. As a result the Royal Air Force is to relinquish its station at Kai Tak and move to Sek Kong, where new facilities, due for completion by March 31, 1978, are being constructed; and Headquarters British Forces is to release Victoria Barracks by March 31, 1979, and move into a new tower block which is under construction in HMS Tamar. Two Army camps at Dodwells Ridge and Sai Kung were handed back to the government during 1976.

The Defence Costs Agreement has resulted in a number of changes in the size and content of HM Forces, including the departure on March 31, 1976 of the frigate HMS Chichester. The Hong Kong Squadron of five patrol craft comes under the direct operational control of the Captain-in-Charge, Hong Kong, who also commands the naval base, HMS Tamar. The squadron acts in support of the government within the territory's coastal waters, working closely with the marine division of the Royal Hong Kong Police Force and other departments. A dramatic example of this co- operation occurred early in 1976 when Royal Navy divers assisted in recovering from the sea hidden drugs worth nearly $100 million.