TNAG-0885-FCO40-1095-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 83

680)

Original at: KK 4.

PS/Mr Blaker

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GREEN NO. 51

21 MAY 1970

DESK OFFICER

MIDEX

PA

RY

Action Tex21

FROM

ADJOURNMENT DEBATE ON 17 MAY: THE PROBLEM OF REFUGEES FROM VIETNAM IN HONG KONG

No

1. I submit a revised draft speaking note for Sir Paul Bryan's adjournment debate on 17 May together with the original back- ground note. The revised draft takes account of comments made by the Minister of State at the meeting held in his office yesterday, Flag A and of the draft for Sir P Bryan's opening speech sent vis the

· Hong Kong Commissioner.

3.

2. The reference to Sir P Bryan's remarks to the effect that the UK should take more refugees from Hong Kong (in the third from last paragraph of the draft speaking note) has been cleared with the Home Office at Under-Secretary level.

3. In view of our discussion yesterday, I have assumed that the Minister of State would be prepared to endorse Lord Goronwy-

Koberts' remarks about the behaviour of the Vietnamese Government Flag B in the House of Lords on 14 May (Hansard Vol. 398 Cols. 1385–1387).

I have included a reference to this in the draft.

4.

I understand that Mr Hal Miller MP would welcome some reference in the Minister of State's speech to his remarks in the debate on the address on 15 May in which he said that "the people of hong kong look to the new government for an assurance that Britain will continue to be responsible for their interests and to care for Flag C them". (Hansard Vol. 967 Col. 174). It would, I think, be appro-

priate for the Minister of State to give such an assurance during the first debate on a Hong Kong matter since the Government took office. I have suggested a form of words in the final paragraph of the draft.

17 May 1979

cc:

Mr Cortazzi SEAD UND

News Dept.

RJT McLaren

Hong Kong and General Department

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