TNAG-0971-FCO40-1190-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1980 — Page 45

CONFIDENTIAL AND PERSONAL

Original at: HKK026/24

This

for:

Information only / Action on

Para(s)

H✓ ✓ 3

EIVED IR RYS.

Mis

43/2

2. 1 NOV 1980

381

J25.11

Ah zsila

RD Clift Isq

c/o Dr D C Wilson

Political Adviser

Government Secretariat

HONG KONG

-

ALSO

NICK 243/5 243/5

21 November 1980

VISIT TO THE UK BY MR HARTLING, UNHCR

1. By the time you receive this letter, a telegram will have issued to Hong Kong with the news that Hartling is to visit London from 8 to 10 December. He will be seeing the Prime Minister, the Secretary of State and a Home Office Minister.

2.

Hartling is bound to raise the subject of a new UK quota for Vietnamese refugees. This rather cuts across the Governor's wish to keep off the subject for the time being. Unfortunately, we in HKGD only became aware of the visit yesterday on receipt of UKMIS Geneva telegram number 497 (copy enclosed) which was not repeated to Hong Kong. UND and SEAD have apparently known of the visit for weeks but could not explain why they had failed to consult us. They accepted that Hartling's visit has implications for Hong Kong but apparently did not see this at the time.

3. I thought you should be aware of the background to the total lack of consultation in case Hong Kong are peeved at having been brought in on it so late in the day.

P Morrice

Hong Kong and General Department

PERSONAL AND CONFIDENTIAL

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