CONFIDENTIAL
23
775346
MDHIAN 1612
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 21110OZ FCO TELNO 1256
OF 21100OZ APRIL 89
HKB 243/11
INFO DESKBY 21110OZ UKMIS GENEVA
21
YOUR TELNO 871: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE: FINANCE
сн
1 I AM MOST GRATEFUL CONTRIBUTION OF UP TO SIX MILLION POUNDS TO COVER THE FULL CAPITAL COSTS OF THE PILLAR POINT REFUGEE CENTRE. I FEEL SURE THAT THIS WILL BE A GREAT HELP IN GETTING THE RIGHT RESPONSE FROM FINANCE COMMITTEE ON FUNDING FOR WHITEHEAD.
MINISTERS FOR AGREEING TO MAKE A
2.
THE CHIEF SECRETARY (CS) AND SECRETARY FOR SECURITY (S FOR S) BRIEFED LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL MEMBERS TODAY (21 APRIL) ON THE ESTIMATED CAPITAL COSTS OF CONSTRUCTING WHITEHEAD STAGE 3 AND 4 CHKD 170.4 MILLION) AND THE LO WU TEMPORARY EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION (HKD 28.3 MILLION), TOGETHER WITH THE ESTIMATED RECURRENT COSTS (INCLUDING HKD 6.5 MILLION FOR RENTAL OF FERRIES).
3. THEY ALSO TOLD LEGCO MEMBERS (IN CONFIDENCE, PENDING ANSWER TO THE PQ LATER TODAY) OF YOUR INTENTION TO CONTRIBUTE UP TO SIX MILLION POUNDS TO THE UNHCR APPEAL FOR FUNDS TON THE PILLAR POINT PROJECT. MEMBERS OF LEGCO EXPRESSED THEIR APPRECIATION. SOME QUESTIONED THE MANNER IN WHICH THE CONTRIBUTION IS TO BE MADE, WHILE OTHERS EXPRESSED CONCERN THAT HONG KONG MIGHT NOT/NOT BENEFIT TO THE FULL EXTENT FROM THE CONTRIBUTION. CS AND S FOR S EMPHASIED THAT YOUR CONTRIBUTION WOULD BE EARMARKED SPECIFICALLY TO REIMBURSE HKG FOR THE CAPITAL COST OF THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE PILLAR POINT REFUGEE CENTRE. IT COULD NOT/NOT BE USED BY UNHCR FOR OTHER PURPOSES. THE CONTRIBUTION WOULD HELP SIGNIFICANTLY TO OFFSET THE COST TO HKG OF EXTENDING WHITEHEAD. THEY DID NOT/NOT DEPLOY THE EXPLANATION
IN PARA 5 OF TUR: IT WOULD NOT HAVE HAD ANY SIGNIFICANT EFFECT ON REACTIONS AND CONFIDENTIALITY COULD NOT/NOT HAVE BEEN ASSURED.
4.
MIFT CONTAINS INFORMATION FOR UKMIS GENEVA ON THE PLANNED EMERGENCY TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION (PARA 6 OF TUR).
WILSON
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