Mr Murray
각
PS/Mr Zuard
42
Minista
HKK 341/1
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY 40. 51 1 1 MAY 1973
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
Action
صدا
MR ROBERT PARRY MP: PQ ON ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION
INTO HONG KONG
12 CLE
Flag A.
1. I am sorry to say that one of the figures quoted A. in the reply given yesterday to Mr Parry's question on
the number of illegal immigrants who have entered Hong Kong from China in the past 5 years was wrong. This was entirely my fault: in quoting the figure for 1974, I had confused the figure for those detained while trying to enter Hong Kong illegally with the figure for those actually returned. Although 7,150 were detained, only 223 of them were returned to China, since the policy of repatriating illegal immigrants was not introduced until November that year.
2. I attach a draft letter to Mr Parry correcting the figure. I am copying this submission to the Parliamentary Unit, and would be grateful if they could arrange for an appropriate correction to be made in Hansard. I have already telegraphed to Hong Kong (who had spotted the mistake) apologising for the
error.
9 May 1978
cc:
PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts Parliamentary Unit
W.E. Quantill
W E Quantrill
Hong Kong & General Dept
volí