TNAG-0321-FCO40-357-Effect-of-1971-UK-Immigration-Bill-on-entry-of-Chinese-from--1971 — Page 33

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Mr Downing

IMMIGRATION BILL: HONG KONG

1.

MURED IN

21 11471971

GUMG/2

21

23)

As foreshadowed in Mr Fitzgerald's reply to my letter

to him of 30 April on this subject, Mr Pickford of the Department of Employment has now set out their objections to any increase in the Hong Kong quota of work permits. However, the letter does not deal with total Chinese immigra- tion, nor with the Governor of Hong Kong's particular complaint concerning the comparatively large number of "stateless" Chinese permitted annually to come from Hong Kong to this country. (I think the number is around 1,300 a year.)

2.

I spoke to Mr Pickford over the telephone on 17 May, pointed out the difficulty we should have in telling the

Tam not Governor to accept that his quota of 200 could not be

sure that

Whis

wil help, much.

MG.

increased for the reasons given if at the same time we could not assure him that considerable reductions were being made in the admission of aliens.

3.

Mr Pickford telephoned on 19 May to say that the Department of Employment still wished to insist that the Hong Kong quota should not be increased above 200 but said that until after a meeting on 24 May he would be unable to say what sort of reduction in the admission of Chinese aliens (which will include stateless Chinese from Hong Kong) would be likely to take place under the interim arrangements and the longer term arrangements which would succeed them. Apparently the complications have been, first, Ministers' decision that no announcement can be made about reductions in the admission of aliens for the next ten weeks or so, and secondly, their request for a paper on the state of the catering industry. The meeting on 24 May is to deal with Ministers' second daquest dizish

1.

CONFIDENTIAL

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