the refugees with accommodation, food, medical attention, and educational, recreational and vocational training
facilities. The Hong Kong Government employs specially
recruited staff to run the closed camps, and voluntary agencies also operate in the camps. Representatives from among the refugees discuss various aspects of camp life at daily meetings with the Camp Superintendent. The United
Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Mr Poul Hartling,
visited one of the closed camps in May and said that, although he did not like the idea of such camps he "found
the circumstances, the conditions, very encouraging".
Mrs Course referred in her letter to our acceptance
of 500 more refugees. This is an estimate of the number of refugees in camps in Hong Kong and elsewhere in South East Asia who might benefit from the relaxation of present
criteria on family reunion announced by the Home Secretary
in September. I hope that this initiative will encourage
other countries to accept further refugees from Hong Kong.
We are now pressing them to do so. It is too early yet to assess the overall results of our campaign, but it is
encouraging that several countries (e g Australia, which has offered an extra 200 places up to June 1986) have agreed to help. These measures, together with a reduced influx of refugees into Hong Kong, should help to ease the problem.
I am returning your constituent's letter herewith,
and have retained a copy for our files.
GEOFFREY HOWE
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