TNAG-1068-FCO40-1318-Resettlement-of-Vietnamese-refugees-from-Hong-Kong-in-the-UK-1981 — Page 129

CONFIDENTIAL

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RECEIVED

VY NO. 51

16 MAR 1981

DESK OFFICER

INDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

MEETING BETWEEN THE HOME SECRETARY AND THE GOVERNOR OF HONG KONG:

11 MARCH 1981

16

Tas 16/3

Present

The Rt Hon William Whitelaw CH MC MP Mr Timothy Raison MP

Mr P J Woodfield CB CBE

Mr M J Addison

9

Sir Murray MacLehose GBE KCMG KCVO Mr D R Ford MVO OBE

Mr R D Clift

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

See also (18)

1. Sir M MacLehose said that he understood that the Prime Minister had agreed that people involved in ship rescues should not be counted against the 10,000 quota of refugees for the United Kingdom. This would be a great help and give more time in which it could be said to the Americans and others that the refugee programme was continuing. Mr Woodfield said that the problem was that not enough people were wanting to come to the United Kingdom. The selection team at

present in Hong Kong was having difficulty in finding people. Sir M MacLehose repeated that from his point of view the important thing was that it could be stated fairly that the programme was continuing. This would provide time to consider the future.

Distribution:

Private Secretary PS/Mr Blaker

PS/PUS

Sir E Youde

Mr Donald

HKGD

SEAD

Governor, Hong Kong

CONFIDENTIAL