ENG-1977 — Page 233

15

The Armed Services and Auxiliary Services

歌和三

|輔軍

隊助

THE British Army, Navy and Air Force are all represented in Hong Kong under the overall command of the Commander British Forces.

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 help the government maintain security and stability, and to sustain confidence in the United Kingdom's intention to maintain its position.

The size and composition of the garrison, and the contribution Hong Kong makes towards the cost of maintaining it, is determined by an agreement between the Hong Kong and United Kingdom Governments known as the Defence Costs Agreement.

The current agreement came into effect on April 1, 1976, and will run for seven years; under its terms, the garrison comprises 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. The United Kingdom has undertaken to reinforce these forces should the circum- stances so dictate.

As a result of the agreement, the Royal Air Force will relinquish its station at Kai Tak and move to Sek Kong where new facilities, due for completion by March 31, 1978, are under construction and Headquarters British Forces will release Victoria Barracks by March 31, 1979, and move into a new tower block at HMS Tamar.

The five Royal Navy patrol craft comprising the Hong Kong Squadron come under the operational control of the Captain-in-Charge, Hong Kong, who also commands the naval base, HMS Tamar. The Hong Kong Squadron acts in support of the govern- ment within the territory's coastal waters, liaising closely with the marine division of the Royal Hong Kong Police and other appropriate departments. It also has a responsibility for search and rescue in the South China Sea and has recently been involved in the salvage of two merchant ships and rescued the crew of a third.

The Royal Navy employs 265 locally-entered Chinese ratings in various capacities. They include cooks, stewards, technicians and seamen, some of whom help to man ships in the squadron. A further 700 locally-recruited merchant seamen and store- housemen serve worldwide in 11 ships of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary Service, providing logistic support for ships of Her Majesty's Fleet. Laundering, tailoring, shoemaking and hairdressing facilities are provided for the fleet by 258 Hong Kong Chinese sea- going civilians. Within HMS Tamar, a work-force of 60 civilians is employed mainly on clerical, storekeeping, transport and labour tasks.