RESTRICTED
FROM:
A R Paul
HKD 213/1
RECEIVERIN
DATE:
-
1 MAY 1991
DESK OFFICEN
INDEX
Mr Baker-Bates
SAAD
PA
ALTIC
Hong Kong Department
19 March 1991
CC:
Mr Burns
Ms Spencer
Mr Beamish
Mr Gorham, WIAD
DEPENDENT TERRITORIES WORK PERMIT SCHEME
1.
Thank you for your minute of 14 March expressing the
hope that St Helena might continue to benefit from the Work
Permit Scheme.
15
2. I sympathise with the political arguments put forward in your minute.
Indeed, these arguments apply with equal force
to Hong Kong. Unfortunately, the Home Office do not attach
the same weight to them as we do.
3
I also note your view that the discontinuation of the
Work Permit Scheme would have "a considerable effect on the
UK's Aid bill" and would make the Island even more dependent
on HMG. It is obviously for you to decide how to deploy
these arguments. But as you will appreciate, the Aid bill
is not of direct concern to the Home Office and I doubt
whether they would accept that the discontinuation of the
Work Permit Scheme for the Island would necessarily have to
lead to a considerable increase in it.
DUNAEP/1
CC
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