TNAG-0895-FCO40-1105-Refugees-from-Vietnam-in-Hong-Kong-Vietnamese-boat-people-1979 — Page 232

CONFIDENTIAL

C

A

British Shipping (GCBS), wrote to Mr Nott on 16 July

to suggest that refugees picked up by British ships

should automatically be included in the quota. Lord

Campbell raised the matter in the House of Lords on

18 July when the Secretary of State undertook to Look

into the suggestion that the Government give first

priority in the United Kingdom quota to those refugees

who have been rescued by British ships (Hansard

B

Col. 1429-1430).

C

D

The GCBS also raised the matter with

Mr Hurd on 19 July and the Secretary of State answered a

question on this point at his Press Conference in

Geneva on 20 July (UKMis Geneva telno 348).

5.

Cabinet on 12 July agreed that refugees picked up

by our ships at sea should be included in the quota

of 10,000. The difficulties in administering this provision

are set out in para 2 of the draft letter to Mr Nott.

Nevertheless, we are commited by the Cabinet's decision

to administer the existing quota in such a way

a way as to

allow for the possibility that we may have to accept

".

at short notice refugees picked up by British flag

vessels. We can probably do this as long as only small

numbers of refugees are picked up by British ships.

J

But if there is another case of the magnitude of the

Sibonga we may need to consider an increase in the quota.