TNAG-0801-FCO40-1005-Immigration-from-China-to-Hong-Kong-1978 — Page 119

1-3 HAK341/

HKK 341/1

APRIL 1978

25

Mr Murray

Parliamentary Unit

rliamentary

HONG KONG: PQ: ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION FROM CHINA

1. I submit a draft reply and background note to the priority Written Question tabled by Mr John Moore MP (Conservative Croydon Central) for answer on 6 April.

2. Mr Moore has not tabled any previous Question on Hong Kong in the last three years. This Question is probably the result of a recent episode of the BBC television series "The Hong Kong Beat", which showed would-be illegal immigrants being picked up by a Hong Kong Marine Police vessel. The programme made clear that a Royal Navy vessel was in the vicinity engaged on

the same task.

3. The proposed answer has been agreed with the MOD, who have particularly asked that the reference to the Hong Kong Marine Police should come before the reference to the Royal Navy

in the reply in order to shift the emphasis off the latter.

5 April 1978

CC:

PS/Lord Goronwy-Roberts Mr Cortazzi

W.E.Quantill

WE Quantrill

Hong Kong & General Dept