Morgan (UND)
Reference........:75/333/1.....
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with 153
They sent Saparate
no a
one.
: VIKTNASSE REFUGEES
7 Than' you for copying to me your draft letter to Mr Taylor (Tone Office) ir reply to his letter of 10 October to Mr Buxton. Tan afraid I cnot agree with your proposed draft.
2.
+
As to paragraph 1 of the draft, unless the Home Office have sent #semarate ruft submission to you, I assume that your opening aragraph hould refer to their letter of 10 October to Mr Buxton.
An to the reminder of your letter, for the reasons set out in 11 mirute of 12 October, I consider that sanctuary in Britain and fimmcial moistance by the UK Government as appropriate should be giver or in Ve case of Vietnamese refugees uplifted from the sea
Tr 1 British flag vessels registered only in the UK. As indicated in my minute of 12 October I do not agree that we should propose to Ministers that assistance should be provided in the case of refugees uplifted by vessels belonging to either other independent Commonwealth countries or to our dependencies.
A
·
it
Because of the complexity of multi-national organisations, ilnost impossible to establish ultimate ownership of a particular vessel and it is for this reason that flag of registry is the best determinent. In any case, if a British owner has decided that it i to his advantage to register a vessel under a foreign flag, it ould be illogical to bestow on him nevertheless the benefits of U registration so far as Vietnamese refugees are concerned.
5. I should be grateful if you reconsider the foregoing points and to see a further draft so that we may let the Home Office have an agreed FCO view.
24 October 1977
att's
A L Free-Gore
Maritime Aviation and Environment
Department
CODE 18 - 17
CC:
Mr Hunfrey (SEAD)
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