NE 1979
Written Answers
92
Vietnamese Refugees
Mr. Parry asked the Lord Privy Seal if he will publish in the Official Report from international sources available to him a list of the countries which have accepted Vietnamese refugees, and the numbers accepted to the latest available date.
Mr. Blaker: According to the most recent figures available from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refu- gees the number of Indo-China refugees accepted for resettlement by foreign and Commonwealth countries shown as at 1 May 1979 is as follows-separate figures for Vietnamese, Cambodians and Lao- tians are not available:
Country
China
Taiwan
USA
France
Australia
Canada
Germany
Malaysia
Switzerland
Belgium
Norway
Number
accepted (rounded) 230,000
1,000* 217,000
48.800
...
19,500
***
14,400
***
New Zealand
Denmark
Netherlands
Austria
Italy
Israel
Japan
Luxembourg
Total
Others
* Estimate.
:
3,500
1,600
1,500 1,300
900
800
600
...
380
...
340
250
170
50
30
700
540,620
The United Kingdom has accepted for settlement 1,537 Vietnamese.
The UNHCR gives the number of Vietnamese refugees in temporary asy- lum in the countries shown as at 1 May as follows:
Country
Thailand
Malaysia Indonesia
...
Macau
Philippines
Japan
Singapore
Other countries
*
Total
**
***
Number accepted (rounded)
3,100 54,100
11,700
1,800 1,600
400
300
100
73,100
93
Written Aowers 243/11 JUNE 1979
The total number of refugees in Thai- land on 1 May, according to the same 149,126. The source, was 146,000 refugees from Cambodia "and Laos.
Hong Kong has admitted 9,200 former residents of Vietnam for parent re- settlement since ahd (n 5 June there were a further 44,690 Vietnamese refugees in the territory pending resettle- ment elsewhere.
EUROPEAN COMMUNITY
Extension of Competence
Mr. Deakins asked the Lord Privy Seal what machinery exists in his Depart- ment to monitor the activities of the EEC Commission in order to prevent the Com- mission acquiring new competence in areas not covered by the basic treaties.
Sir Ian Gilmour : No special machinery is required. It is a normal function of officials in the Foreign and Common- wealth Office and other Departments to report to Ministers on any instance in which a Commission activity appears to fall outside the Commission's sphere of responsibility.
SOCIAL SERVICES
Detoxification Centres
Mr. Thomas Cox asked the Secretary of State for Social Services (1) how many detoxification centres there are in Greater London; and where they are situated;
(2) how many detoxification centres there are in the United Kingdom; and what was the financial help given by his Department to such centres during each of the past three years.
Sir George Young: My responsibility is limited to England where there are three detoxification centres-in addition to detoxification facilities provided in NHS hospitals. An experimental centre was set up in Leeds in May 1976 by a voluntary agency in association with the local health and social services autho- rities. A second centre was set up in Manchester in November 1977 by the local health and social services autho- rities. In Greater London there is one centre, opened by the Salvation Army in Tower Hamlets in September 1975. The
3 F 37
Written Answers
1143.
94
financial help given by my Department to these three centres in each of the past three financial years was as follows:
1976-77 1977-78 1978-79
Capital Revenue
"Manchester
Capital Revenue
£
E
£
...
87,000 131,000
14.000
159 000
172,000
350,000
70,000
160,000
Tower Hamlets
Capital Revenue
21,000 21.000
23.000
Social Security Benefits
(Retired Persons)
Mr. Thomas Cox asked the Secretary of State for Social Services how many retired people receive social security benefits.
Mrs. Chalker: In November 1977, the latest date for which figures are available, above 8,700,000 people over pension age were in receipt of social security benefits. Many of them were in receipt of more than one benefit and, in a small number of cases, receipt of benefit was not depen- dent on retirement from regular employ- ment.
Television Licences (Pensioners)
Dr. Edmund Marshall asked the Sec- retary of State for Social Services whether he will list those county councils, London borough councils and metropolita district councils in England which now give financial help towards the cost c television licences for retirement pen- sioners resident in their areas, other thes those who live in sheltered accommoda- tion or are disabled or handicapped.
Mr. Prentice: Information in the for requested is not available centrally, but returns for the year ending 31 Merck 1978 show that Wakefield and Rotherham metropolitan districts assisted 18,590 and 13,538 households respectively, containing one or more persons age 65 or over, with their television licence fee. A further 68 social services authorities assisted between them 5,920 such households, & large proportion of which will have been on grounds of disability of the pensioner
Ophthalmology Services (Dudley)
Mr. Blackburn asked the Secretary of State for Social Services what steps he is willing to take in support of the Dudi
ee
(1191)
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