1427
The Indo-China
[ LORDS]
[Lord Avebury.] namese Government, as I suspect, have not accepted the invitation of the Secretary- General of the United Nations, may I ask the noble Lord to say how influence can be brought to bear to change the policies be brought to bear to change the policies in the way the noble Lord suggests; what further steps does he think are open to us, apart from mere persuasion? Also in regard to the attendance, can the noble Lord say what influence the Governor of Hong Kong and his officials may have, considering their vital interest in the solution of this problem?
How will Her Majesty's Government convince the people of the United Kingdom, if there is any doubt, that this decision is fully justified by the humani- tarian considerations involved? Will they lose no opportunity in emphasising that in recent years emigration from the United Kingdom has exceeded immigration by about 40,000 a year, so that the number of refugees we are now proposing to take will be only about one-quarter of the net emigration from the country?
In regard to the voluntary agencies, I echo what was said by the noble Lord, Lord Goronwy-Roberts, and ask the noble Lord whether he agrees that this emphasises yet again the need, to which attention has been drawn regularly by the Standing Conference on Refugees, for a permanent centre for refugees to be set up with a nucleus of trained staff who could expand the resettlement work when an emergency of this kind arises.
1428
Refugee Problem left. It will be Mr. Blaker, the Minister of State at the Foreign Office; he will be there the whole time the conference lasts.
I, too, wish to pay tribute, as both noble Lords did, to the Governor of Hong Kong. Having myself been in Hong Kong and seen what has happened, the actions and achievements in the most difficult circum- stances of the Governor and the Govern- ment of Hong Kong have been truly remarkable, and we owe him and the Government a great debt. He will be with me at the conference and will be there for the duration of the conference, so he will have the opportunity also, I hope, of saying something to the con- ference about the situation. The noble
Lord, Lord Avebury, asked me about a permanent centre for refugees. I should like to look at that to see whether any- thing could be done about it, although I think the scale of this problem is such that no permanent organisation of that kind could be big enough to deal with it; it really is an enormous problem.
Baroness VICKERS: My Lords, may I ask my noble friend whether he thinks there will be any possibility at the con- ference of setting up an organisation to trace relations? One of the saddest things about the refugees are children separated from their parents, and many of them have other relations with whom they would like to have connections. Of course during the war this was done by the Red Cross very successfully.
Lord CARRINGTON: I will certainly look into that, my Lords, to see whether anything can be done, and will make that suggestion.
Lord CARRINGTON: My Lords, I am grateful to both noble Lords for what they have said, and I think they echo the sentiments of the whole House over this matter. Both asked about the Vietnamese Lord JANNER: My Lord, while thank- Government. The Vietnamese Governing the noble Lord for the replies he has ment have been asked and are going to attend the conference. Consequently, they will be able to hear for themselves what is said. Of course, the conference is predominantly a humanitarian conference, but certainly I cannot believe, as the noble Lord, Lord Goronwy-Roberts, said, that one can divorce this matter into two; the source of the problem is the Vietnamese Government and it is right that we should say so and bring home to them the enormity of what is happening. Lord Goronwy-Roberts also asked me who was to be the British representative after I
given and the excellent example that is being set by him and the Government and the country generally in respect of this matter, may I ask whether he can inform the House if any other countries have taken action of a similar nature and whether we have made approaches, before the actual meeting in Geneva, to see if we can get some of our friends-for ex- ample, in the EEC, and others--to do something similar?
Lord CARRINGTON: Yes, indeed, my Lords. A great many other countries