TNAG-1026-FCO40-1276-Visit-by-Lord-Carrington--Secretary-of-State-for-Foreign-and-1981 — Page 49

Also al HKK 28012

243122 38011

File

HKK ozolz

KREV IN REGISTRY NO. 51

ouoli

16411

12113

CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET

INDEX

PS/Mr Blaker

PQ: SECRETARY OF STATE'S VISIT TO HONG KONG

14 APR 1931

DECK OFFICER

ملا

PA

4

REGISTRY Action Taken

Ah 23/4

Mr Blaker asked a number of questions concerning the attached

83

1.

PQ:

i) Overseas Students' Fees

'What are the latest

available figures about the drop in numbers of Hong Kong

students coming here?'

The latest figures available are for January/February 1981.

Applications in Hong Kong for student visas for the UK fell

by 28% in that period compared with the same period last

year; applications for Canada rose by 19%, and those for

the United States fell by 31%.

ii) Vietnamese Refugees: 'Do the 9,000 boat people who have

come to the UK come off the 10,000 quota or out of the

10,000 plus 1,000 (Background Note No 3)?'

They come out of the 10,000 only, the 1,000 having already

been used up.

iii) Vietnamese Refugees

'May Mr Blaker say publicly that

the balance of the UK quota will take time to full because

of a reluctance by the refugees to come to Britain?'

This is better not said in public since it would weaken

the Hong Kong Government's case for some places. But if

specifically asked about the result of the latest Home

Office visit to Hong Kong he would have to confirm it.

/iv) MacLennan

CONFIDENTIAL COVERING SECRET