CONFIDENTIAL
HKB 243/11
CONFIDENTIAL
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 18123OZ FCO
TELNO 1228
OF 18113OZ APRIL 89
AND TO DESKBY 18123OZ UKMIS GENEVA
С
こん
20
162501
MDHIAN 1114
19
18
YOUR TELNO 848 AND UKMIS GENEVA TELNO 203: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE:
FINANCE
WE ARE NOT/NOT SURE HOW THE TWO FALLBACK OPTIONS IDENTIFIED IN PARA 2 OF FIRST TUR STAND IN RELATION TO OUR PREFERRED OPTION OF A
DIRECT FINANCIAL CONTRIBUTION TO THE COSTS OF EITHER WHITEHEAD OR OTHER EMERGENCY ACCOMMODATION. UNLESS YOU HAVE EFFECTIVELY RULED THIS OUT AS A RESULT OF YOUR DISCUSSIONS WITH ODA AND OTHERS, WE WOULD MUCH PREFER IT TO THE ALTERNATIVES NOW SUGGESTED. IF HOWEVER YOU CONSIDER OUR RECOMMENDED OPTION AS IMPRACTICABLE, THEN WE HAVE THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS ON THE TWO FALLBACK SUGGESTIONS IN FIRST TUR.
2. WHILE WE ARE GRATEFUL FOR YOUR READINESS TO APPROACH UNHCR AGAIN,
GIVEN UNHCR'S VIEWS AS REPORTED IN SECOND TUR WE ARE DOUBTFUL ABOUT THEIR READINESS TO ACCEPT YOUR FIRST FALLBACK POSITION (PARA 2(A) OF FIRST TUR). THERE IS A FURTHER PROBLEM THAT WE NOW HAVE VERY LIMITED TIME TO RESOLVE THE POSITION ON UK FUNDING (SEE PARA 4 BELOW). WE ARE
VERY DOUBTFUL THAT THE UNHCR WILL BE ABLE TO OFFER ANY SORT OF RESPONSE TO OPTION A IN THE TIMESCALE REQUIRED.
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THE SECOND FALL BACK POSITION (PARA 2(B) OF FIRST TUR), IE AN INCREASED CONTRIBUTION IN REPONSE TO THE PILLAR POINT APPEAL, WHILE FAR FROM IDEAL HAS FEWER DISADVANTAGES THAN OPTION A. WE BELIEVE THAT IN ORDER FOR SUCH A CONTRIBUTION TO MEET OUR POLITICIAL OBJECTIVES IN SECURING A FAVOURABLE RESPONSE FROM FINANCE COMMITTEE ON FUNDING FOR WHITEHEAD, THE FOLLOWING WILL BE REQUIRED:
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A) THE SIZE OF THE UK CONTRIBUTION WILL NEED TO BE A SUBSTANTIAL ONE IE EQUIVALENT TO THE ORDER OF COSTS WE IDENTIFIED IN PARA 2(B) OF OUR TELNO 1144 AS A CONTRIBUTION TO
HALF THE COSTS OF WHITEHEAD STAGES 3 AND 4.
B) THERE WILL NEED TO BE AN EARLY ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE UK CONTRIBUTION. IF THE UNHCR APPEAL IS NOT TO BE LAUNCHED FOR ANOTHER TWO WEEKS (UKMIS GENEVA TUR) THE ANNOUNCEMENT WOULD HAVE TO BE IN ANTICIPATION OF THE APPEAL.
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CONFIDENTIAL