Registry No.
SECURITY CLASSIFICATION
Top Secret,
Secret.
Confidential.
Restricted.
Unclassified.
PRIVACY MARKING
In Confidence
CONFIDENTIAL
DSR 11
DRAFT LETTER
The Rt Hon John Nott, MP
To:-
Secretary of State for Trade
1 Victoria Street
LONDON SW1
Type 1 +
From
Secretary of State
Telephone No. Ext.
Department
VIETNAMESE REFUGEES
I have seen a copy of David Ropner's Letter to you
of 16 July in which he asks for an assurance that refugees
picked up by British ships should automatically be
included in the British quota. Lord Campbell made a
similar suggestion in the House of Lords on 18 July.
The GCBS have also made representations to Douglas Hurd.
Cabinet on 12 July agreed that refugees picked up
by our ships should be included in the quota of 10,000.
There are difficulties in administering this provision.
In the first place Hong Kong needs all the quota for
herself and another case of the magnitude of the Sibonga
would make serious inroads into the quota. Secondly, there
is the administrative problem of arranging reception of
ship cases at short notice,
at short notice, assuming that the Hong Kong
accepted
refugees are tak at the fastest rate. There is also
the possible objection that refugees picked up
sea while others remain in camps would amount to queue
jumping. Finally, ship cases may occur after the quota has
been exhausted.
In these circumstances it is clearly not possible
to give shipowners open commitment of the kind they
A
are seeking.
But I see advantage in you replying to
/ Mr Ropner
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.