Registry
No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret,
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
CONFIDENTIAL
DRAFT
SUBMISSION
To:-
Miss Brown
PS, Mr Hurd
PS/Lord Privy Seal
Type 1 +
From
Telephone No. Ext.
Department
DSR 11
In Confidence] VIETNAMESE REFUGEES PICKED UP BY BRITISH SHIPS
J
A lu
A
B
Problem
The DOT have again raised with us the question of what assurance
we can give the shipping industry in respect of refugees picked up by
British ships.
Recommendation
2. In the light of Cabinet decisions that we should not give a general
undertaking to accept refugees rescued by British ships, I recommend
we continue to advise against giving the shipping industry an unconditio
assurance on the lines proposed by the DOT. I submit a draft letter
obviou
from PS/Lord Privy Seal. But in view of Mr Nott's personal interest
Mr Hurd may consider that the Secretary of State should see.
Background and argument
3.
replies
Mr Symes letter of 10 August in reopense to Mr Gomersall's
letter of 2 August conveying FCO views on how we should respond to
pressure from the shipping industry for a government assurance that
refugees picked up by British ships should automatically be included
in the British quota. Mr Ropner, President of the General Council of
British Shipping requested such an assurance in his letter of 16 July
Lo Mr Nott. The background is contained in Mr Morland's submission
of 24 July.
4.
The OD decision of 10 July referred to in Mr Symes, letter should comment be singles and from ie considered imiku comlex of previous Cabinet decisions on this
/subject
Dd 0532000 800M 5/78 HMSO Bracknell