TNAG-0886-FCO40-1096-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 50

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24 MAY

council houses and so on will be bitterly disappointed when they make their applications? Is she aware that this will also affect people in the private sec- tor, who will find that they will not be able to obtain mortgages either?

Mr. Speaker: Order. I believe that the hon. Gentleman meant to refer to houses in Gidea Park.

Mr. Ross: Yes, Mr. Speaker. I was referring to mortgages on houses in Gidea Park, sold by local authorities.

The Prime Minister: Perhaps one reason why interest rates are high and money is being attracted away from the building societies is the enormous amount of borrowing which the previous Gov- ernment did. It was revealed today that the public sector borrowing requirement was £2 billion. If the Government do less more money might be available for building societies.

DATE 24.1.5.19 COL1A-123/ VOL. 96.7

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Getnamese Réfuk

HONG KONG

(VIETNAMESE REFUGETS)

Sir Paul Bryan (by private notice) asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will make a statement regarding the arrival in Hong motor vessel of the Kong waters

'Sibonga with 984 Vietnamese refugees on board.

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The Lord Privy Seal (Sir ia Gilmour): The British-registered freighter MV "Sibonga", owned by the Bank Line, rescued 984 refugees from two boats in distress south of Vietnam on 21 May. arrived outside Hong The "Sibonga Kong, its next scheduled port of call early this morning. 'The Government urgently considering the future of the refugees in consultation with the Hong Kong Government.

are

Sir P. Bryan : Does my right hon. Friend recall that in the Adjournment debate on Thursday night I reported that the transit camps in Hong Kong had no fewer than 29,000 Vietnamese refugees in them? Since then, in less than a week, about 5,000 more refugees have arrived. before the arrival of this ship today. these refugees are accepted, it means that in the last week 1,000 Vietnamese refugees 2 day will have come into Hong Kong. The position there is desperate. Added to this there is the iramigration of about 3,000 per week from China.

Will my

right hon. Friend acknowledge that the only way to bring real help to the Hong Kong people now is diplomatic action by this Government?

Sir I. Gilmour: I agree entirely with my hon. Friend. As he says, the position has got even worse since the Adjourn- ment debate last week. In fact, I under- stand that more than 1,800 refugees arrived there today in small boats, adding to the 32,000 already there. As my hon. Friend probably knows, my right hon. and noble Friend the Foreign and Com- monwealth Secretary has already dis- cussed the refugee problem-especially in terms of the impact on Hong Kong- with the American Secretary of State and the Japanese Foreign Minister. We are in touch with other Governments and the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees as well as the Hong Kong Gov- ernment about a situation that is desper- ately serious and is deteriorating rapidly

every day.

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