Private
Secretary
Mr Murray
HKK 2431
RECEIVED IN PANI NO $1 21 AUC 1935
MPS LETTER: VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG
578
A
Problem
1. To reply to a letter of 9 August to the Secretary of State from Sir Geoffrey Howe MP with which he enclosed copies of correspondence
(1568) with his constituent Mr R C Thornton.
(298AB
2984
(1434)
D
E
1432
Recommendation
2. I recommend that the Secretary of State reply on the lines of
the attached draft.
Background
3. Mr Thornton's present proposals are an elaboration of a theme
he first raised in a letter to Sir Geoffrey Howe on 2 July about
The which the latter wrote to the Secretary of State on 6 July.
Secretary of State replied on 20 July. Mr McLaren's submission of
20 July gave such background as we have on Mr Thornton.
4. I do not think we need comment in any detail on Mr Thornton's proposal for establishing a private development corporation to create an industrial and residential estate for 200,000 refugees in
Hong Kong: although he has clearly put a lot of thought into the proposal, it retains a number of features that make it impractical in the circumstances of Hong Kong. We are, however, arranging for the correspondence to be copied to the Hong Kong
Government.
W. E. Chantill
W E Quantrill
16 August 1979
Hong Kong and General Department
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.