CAB148-30-Defence and Oversea Policy Committee Meetings Relating to 1967 Disturbances-1967 — Page 200

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On the other hand, it was argued that however desirable

economically it might be to achieve greater savings or to achieve the savings envisaged at a faster rate, the considerations advanced

in the report were decisive in demonstrating that the measures

necessary to achieve such larger and faster savings would not be com-

patible with our interests, though the process of disengagement

contemplated in paragraph 12 of the report should be completed by

the mid-1970s rather than the second half of that decade. The

rate and level of savings which were envisaged in the studies had already been approved by Ministers in their previous discussions as

the basis on which official studies were to be carried out.

comparison with the rate of defence expenditure in 1966-67 and 1967-68 was not wholly valid since delays in ordering necessary

equipment in consequence of the time taken by the earlier Defence

Review, made it inescapable that there would be a compensatory increase in expenditure in latter years. To carry out further

The

studies on a different basis would involve considerable further

delay and would inter alia therefore delay the achievement of the

savings through the reduction of our commitments which was envisaged.

Furthermore, the studies which had been carried out amply demonstrated

the danger to our interests of planning on a more rapid rate of with-

drawal from the Far and Middle East. The course of events might

well however permit such earlier withdrawals to be made in one or more

of the areas concerned and we should take advantage of such events if they

occurred: but it would be imprudent to plan on the basis that they

would in fact make earlier withdrawals practicable. Moreover, even

if in the event they did so, the Armed Forces would find it difficult

to achieve a faster rate of demobilisation, since the rate of run-

down of our forces which was already envisaged would raise serious

problems.

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