CAB148-30-Defence and Oversea Policy Committee Meetings Relating to 1967 Disturbances-1967 — Page 121

danger that anything said in the discussions might become known to the

Governments of Australia and New Zealand before we had had an opportunity

to approach them ourselves. The Foreign Secretary and the Defence Secretary

should then circulate a joint paper to the Cabinet, for consideration on

4th April, seeking their approval for the broad basis of the present proposals

There should then be interdepartmental examination of the rate of reduction of our forces as a whole and of the changes in our equipment programme that would

be involved. Final decisions on all these issues could not be taken until

after the series of consultations with our allies, but it would be necessary

first for the Committee and then for the Cabinet to consider in June, in the

light of these consultations, whether we should plan on the reduction of our

forces on the basis proposed by the Defence Secretary, or whether we should

plan a total withdrawal of our forces from the Far East.

The Committee

(1) Took note, with approval, of the Prime Minister's summing up

of their discussion.

(2) Invited the Foreign Secretary, Commonwealth Secretary and

Defence Secretary to consider in the light of the discussion the terms in which the latter should inform the United States Secretary for Defence, during his forthcoming visit to Washington, of the course of the further defence studies. (3) Invited the Foreign Secretary and Defence Secretary to

circulate a paper to the Cabinet, on the basis indicated by the Prime Minister, for consideration on 4th April. (4) Instructed the Secretaries to arrange for an interdepartmental

examination by officials of the details of the proposals on the basis indicated by the Prime Minister and to circulate the first politico-military and economic study to the Committee by 17th April.

Cabinet Office, S.W.1.

23rd March 1967

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