CAB148-30-Defence and Oversea Policy Committee Meetings Relating to 1967 Disturbances-1967 — Page 56

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in the approach which we should almost certainly have to make to our allies in the Western European Union (WEU) and the North Atlantic Treaty Organisation (NATO) to obtain agreement to a measure of relief from our

commitments under the Revised Brussels Treaty and to any changes in the disposition of our forces which we might wish to propose. The report by

officials showed that three possible courses of action were open to us in

WEU:

the first was to seek release from the obligation, unique to the

United Kingdon, to maintain a specific number of troops on the continent

of Europe;

the second was to seek a large reduction in our numerical

commitment, making it clear at the same time that we did not intend to

reduce our forces to the new figure at present; the third was to seek

agreement to reduce the numerical commitment by permitting us to withdraw two brigades.

THE SECRETARY OF STATE FOR DEFENCE said that the foreign exhcnage

saving resulting from the withdrawal of a third of the front line strength

of our forces in Germany, i.e. two brigades and four RAF squadrons, would

be about £12 million in 1968-69. It would be some years before permanent

accommodation for these forces could be built in the United Kingdom and the

cost of rehabilitating the necessary temporary camps would be about £22-63 million. The cost of providing accommodation for the families would be between £8 million and £20 million, depending on how far it proved

possible to meet the requirement by extra hirings and how far by purchasing

houses and mobile homes. If immediate authority were given to incur

expenditure the first unit could be accommodated in the United Kingdom in

July 1967. The withdrawal of two brigades could then be completed within

about a year.

However, it appeared that our agreement with the United

States precluded giving firm notice to the troops and families concerned

before July. If less than six months firm notice were given the individuals

concerned should be compensated for the financial losses they would sustain.

This compensation should cover losses not specifically provided for in the

regulations, as well as those which the Government was obliged to meet.

THE FOREIGN SECRETARY said that no approach should be made to WEU until

the talks with the Americans and the tripartite talks had taken place.

Decisions on the action we should take and the level of forces we should

maintain on the continent of Europe should await the outcome of these

discussions. It was important to avoid any public statement of our

intentions; if we made it clear either to the Americans or in the

tripartite talks that we intended in the circumstances to withdraw any

forces we should incur great difficulty with our allies in WEU and NATO.

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