Conclusions
20. Mr Swire suggested that there would be value in the industry being taken to a greater extent into the Government's confidence. It had no wish to seek publicity and had deliberately not sought to stir things up in the press. It was the industry's policy to work as closely as possible with the Government on difficult issues of this sort. In return, however, it would be very helpful if the Council could be enabled to say to its members that the Government was taking the industry into its confidence in its plans to deal with this emergency. The industry would now have to re-consider its position in the light of the Secretary of State's statements. It continued to believe that the Government should maintain the previous Administration's commitment to accept any refugees taken on board British vessels and found the present position unacceptable.
21. The Secretary of State said he understood the industry's concern that each case should be dealt with as quickly as possible and he took note of their view that where it was impossible to have refugees accepted elsewhere HMG should take an urgent decision to admit them into the UK. He had 'no objections to the delegation saying that they had been to see him and if it would help them to make a statement at a later date his officials would be very ready to help to produce a. joint statement setting out the respective views which had been expressed. This would have to make it clear that if HMG were to give an open-ended commitment to accept all refugees rescued by British ships, the chances of getting them settled in other countries with overseas Chinese populations would virtually be eliminated. Nevertheless, he would do his very best to get the earliest possible decisions on the problem of the ROA CHBANK and would ensure that the industry's interests were properly borne in mind in the Government's consideration of this difficult issue.
Tablas
T G HARRIS
PS/SECRETARY OF STATE FOR TRADE
RM 805 V/S
6 June 1979
сс
Mr B Cartledge
PS/SOS/FCO
PS/Home Secretary PS/MOS (T)
PS/PUSS (T)
PS/Secretary
Mr Steele Dep Sec
No 10
Mr Knighton Dep Sec
Mr Morris SP
Mr Dunning CRE2
Mr Graham SP
Mr Head
Home Office
Mr Flower
FCO
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