XN000022-1985-10-31 — Page 19

FENTON:

WUESTION:

TO

I THINK THAT REALLY IS LOOKING, IF YOU DON'T MIND MY SAYING SO, AT THE PROBLEM THE WRONG WAY ROUND. FIRST OF ALL, WE DO HAVE NO REASON TO DOUBT THE ACCEPTABILITY OF THIS PASSPORT INTERNATIONALLY AS I HAVE JUST SAID. WE WILL BE, THE MOMENT IT IS FIRMLY IN PLACE, WE WILL BE GOING THROUGH ALL THE DISCUSSIONS THAT ARE NECESSARY WITH OTHER COUNTRIES TO ACCEPT - ENSURE ITS ACCEPTABILITY, AND AS I SAID, THOSE WHOSE BDTC PASSPORTS EXPIRE, FOR EXAMPLE IN '88-'89, THEY WILL BE ABLE TO TAKE THE IR DECISION AS TO WHETHER THEY APPLY FOR BN(0) PASSPORT AT THAT STAGE OR WHETHER THEY RENEW THE IR BDTC PASSPORT UNTIL '97 TO SEE IN THOSE INTERVENING MONTHS, TO MAKE ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT REGULATIONS CONCERNING NO NECESSITY FOR HAVING VISAS, FOR EXAMPLE, TO CERTAIN COUNTRIES, THAT THEY ARE PROPERLY ESTABLISHED.

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(BY PATRICIA PENN) EXCUSE ME, BUT WITH RESPECT YOU DONT'T ANSWER MY QUESTION, WHICH IS HOW EASY OR DIFFICULT IS IT TO MODIFY A PASSPORT.

MF RENTON: WELL, I AM SORRY

QUESTION:

I AM SORRY, BUT I THOUGHT I WAS SAYING, I DON'T EXPECT IT TO BE IN ANY SENSE NECESSARY TO MODIFY THE PASSPORT BECAUSE WHAT WE ARE DOING IS FOLLOWING ON FROM AGREEMENTS THAT WERE LAID OUT VERY CLEARLY IN THE JOINT DECLARATION AND WE EXPECT TO PRODUCE A DOCUMENT THAT WILL BE THOROUGHLY ACCEPTABLE INTERNATIONALLY AND TO WHICH MODIFICATIONS WON'T BE NECESSARY.

JIM BIDDULPH, BBC: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES, YOU SAID I THINK THAT YOU ANTICIPATE SEEING A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN THE CAMP POPULATION IN HONG KONG. THE NUMBER THAT BRITAIN IS GOING TO TAKE WILL ONLY JUST ABOUT COVER THE NATURAL GROWTH IN THE CAMP POPULATION. HOW SUBSTANTIAL DO YOU EXPECT THIS REDUCTION TO BE?

WE ARE

MR RENTON: WELL, I THINK THAT AS I WAS ASKED THAT QUESTION AFTER

VISITING BOWRING CAMP TWO DAYS AGO, THAT IT REALLY WOULD NOT BE APPROPRIATE TO PUT A SPECIFIC FIGURE ON IT AT THE MOMENT. AS I SAID ON THAT OCCASION, ON THE BASIS OF OUR LEAD IN TAKING 500 FURTHER RESETTLEMENT CASES OURSELVES, WE ARE IN VERY CLOSE DISCUSSION WITH A NUMBER OF GOVERNMENTS AT THE MOMENT. BEING CLOSELY SUPPORTED IN THIS BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT THEMSELVES. WE HAVE RECEIVED VERY FAVOURABLE INDICATIONS, I AM GLAD TO SAY,

I FROM AUSTRALIA THAT THEY ARE PREPARED TO TAKE A SUBSTANTIAL INCREASE IN THE IR NUMBERS, AND FAVOURABLE INDICATIONS FROM A NUMBER OF OTHER COUNTRIES AS WELL, AND INCLUDING SCANDINAVIA, BUT IT WOULD BE WRONG FOR ME AT THIS STAGE TO PUT A FIGURE ON IT UNTIL I AM ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN WHAT CAN BE ACHIEVED, BUT OUR ESTIMATE AT THE MOMENT IS THAT THE FIGURE - IT WILL BE QUITE A SUBSTANTIAL REDUCTION IN THE TOTAL HERE.

QUESTION (BY JIM BIDDULPH): MAYBE A COUPLE OF THOUSANDS?

MR RENTON: NO. YOU CAN'T LEAD ME ON TO GIVE YOU SPECIFICS!

/QUESTION: