Question:
To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs
what funds the Government is making available in this financial
year towards the cost of accommodation for and repatriation of Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong.
Answer:
We have provided £15.95 million for this purpose. Parliamentary
approval for this new service is being sought in the Winter Supplementary Estimate for the Vote for Other External Relations
(Class II, Vote 2) which covers expenditure of £5.8m for
Vietnamese Boat People. A further £10.15m will be sought in a
Spring Supplementary Estimate. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure will be met by further repayable advances of £10.15m
from the Contingencies Fund.