Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
S Howarth Esq British Embassy WASHINGTON
Telephone 01-
233-8631
J27.6
1216
Your reference
Our reference
Date
27 June 1979
Hkk 243!!
RECEIVED
NA
REFUGEES:
RESETTLEMENT
DESK OTVA INDEX
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1. Ian Soutar wrote to me on 21 June about the proposed visit to the UK and other European countries of people from the General Accounting Office (GAO). We have also now received a letter (copy enclosed), on the same topic, from the US Embassy here. You will see the visitors plan to spend about three weeks in the UK from 4 September.
see IZZIA
2. I have discussed this matter with Peter Burleigh at the Home Office and we should be glad to lend whatever help we can. The Home Office, in consultation with the voluntary agencies, are responsible for the refugees' resettlement here. Peter's replacement (since Peter is transferring next week to another department), John Goddard, should be the GAO's first point of contact here. I imagine they will wish to meet a cross section of officials and voluntary organizations dealing with various aspects of the refugee problem. I also expect they will want to spend time at one or more of the refugee reception centres to have discussions both with refugees and with professionals involved in their resettlement.
If you could find out more precisely what kind of programme they want we could see whether one can be arranged in advance. Alternatively, they may wish to leave the specific arrangements until after initial discussions at the Home Office.
3. Peter Burleigh, to whom I am copying this letter and enclosures, may consider these papers should be copied more widely in Whitehall (DHSS, Department of Employment ?). I have no objection.
CC:
(with encs)
P Burleigh Esq Home Office
P Morgan
United Nations Department
/cc :