CONFIDENTIAL
-2-
to be possible, with the Christmas break coming up, until after
the Lord Privy Seal returns from Hong Kong and the Far East.
This visit will in any case provide the Lord Privy Seal and
yourself with an opportunity to review the problem with the
Governor and a copy of Sir Philip's letter has been included
in the brief on Vietnamese refugees for the visit. In the
meantime, we should send a holding reply to Hong Kong explaining
what we are doing.
5.
Paragraph 8(b) of the letter mentions Mr Davies' letter
of 9 October. We had prepared a submission on this and agreed it
with SEAD. However when we consulted Mr Ford, the Hong Kong
Commissioner in London, he asked that no further action be taken
for the time being. (We had at that stage concluded at official
level that there could be no question of a further quota for
Vietnamese refugees from Hong Kong). Mr Ford said that the Hong
Kong Government wished to reconsider whether they could make a
direct or indirect contribution towards the cost of resettling
the refugees in the UK. I understand that they have now concluded
that such a contribution is not possible. We should therefore
warn Hong Kong that although Ministers have yet to be consulted
the financial difficulties will not help the situation.
6.
In a teleletter of 9 December, Mr Davies asked about refugees
rescued by those British flag carriers who still had not been
brought here. The Home Office had not been told that there was any
urgency in their cases and we did not know there was any hold up.
The Home Office have arranged for them all to be brought here as
/soon
CONFIDENTIAL