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Written Answers
18 OCTOBER 1982
Mr. Arthur Lewis asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in view of the official declaration of the Government of China on their claim for sovereignty over Hong Kong, what action he has taken or intends taking to resolve this problem.
Mr. Rifkind: I would draw the hon. Member's attention to the agreed statement issued on 24 September, after the Prime Minister's discussions in Peking, which read:
"Today the leaders of both countries held far-reaching talks in a friendly atmosphere on the future of Hong Kong. Both leaders made clear their respective positions on this subject.
They agreed to enter talks through diplomatic channels following the visit with the common aim of maintaining the stability and prosperity of Hong Kong." Meetings in Peking to follow up my right hon. Friend's visit have begun.
Mr. Arthur Lewis asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will give the actual or estimated number of people now resident in Hong Kong who are able to claim admission and residence in the United Kingdom; and to what extent this number will be altered by the coming into effect of the British Nationality Act in 1983.
Mr. Rifkind: Some 19,000 patrials in Hong Kong will become British citizens on 1 January 1983. There is an unknown, but probably small, number of other persons with right of admission or readmission under the Immigration Act Rules. Immigration status is unchanged by the British Nationality Act 1981.
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Mr. Arthur Lewis asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what is, for the latest most convenient date, the number of persons now resident in or who are natives of Hong Kong who are entitled to emigrate and settle in the United Kingdom should they so desire and decide.
Mr. Rifkind: With regard to those resident in Hong Kong, the hon. Member is referred to my answer to his earlier question. Statistics on natives of Hong Kong who are resident outside Hong Kong but are entitled to settle in the United Kingdom are not available.
Hong Kong (Vietnamese Refugees)
Sir Patrick Wall asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what conclusion has been reached as to whether the confinement in a closed camp for many months in Hong Kong constitutes a violation of human rights.
Mr. Rifkind: The confinement of refugees in closed camps is being studied by Her Majesty's Government and the Hong Kong Government in the light of the relevant international human rights instruments.
Sir Patrick Wall asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what progress is beng made regarding the resettlement of Vietnamese refugees now in camps in Hong Kong.
Mr. Rifkind: Up to 12 October, the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) had resettled 8,535 refugees from Hong Kong during 1982. At that date, there were 12,801 refugees in Hong Kong awaiting resettlement through the UNHCR,
Written Answers
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Dr. Edmund Marshall asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Vietnamese refugees there now are in Hong Kong.
Mr. Rifkind: On 12 October 1982 there were 13,233 Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong.
Falkland Islands (Ministerial Visit)
Sir Patrick Wall asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will make a statement on the Minister of State's visit to the Falkland Islands.
Mr. Onslow: I visited the Falkland Islands from 2 to 8 October. I had discussions with the civil and military commissioners, held talks with the Island councillors and met a wide cross-section of Falkland Islanders, both in the camp and Port Stanley. My visit gave me the opportunity to see the progress which has been made with reconstruction and rehabilitation, with payments under the compensation scheme--more than £0.5 million has now been paid out in response to claims-and with the clearing and marking of minefields. The visit also enabled me to play a part in the process of consultation with the islanders on their views on the Shackleton report.
Troops | KK 340/1
Angola (Cuban Troops)
Sir Patrick Wall asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what conversations took place with Mr. Nujoma with regard to the withdrawal of Cuban troops from Angola.
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Mr. Onslow: Mr. Nujoma, President of SWAPO, called on me on 30 September. Details of such talks are confidential, but I can confirm that several flatters of mutual concern were discussed, including the Namibia settlement negotiations and the issue of Cuban troop withdrawal from Angola.
Mr. Robert Maxwell
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Mr. Arther Lewis asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether he will make a statement concerning a British subject, Mr. Robert Maxwell, who had been imprisoned for more than two years before trial in Tripoli, Libya; what action he took and when to bring this man to trial, or to be granted remand or bail pending his trial; and why no public announcement was made by his Department concerning this matter until a broadcast by the BBC.
Mr. Hurd: Mr. Robert Maxwell went to work in Libya in 1977 on a civil engineering project. In December 1980, he was arrested in Beida and in February 1981 brought before a revolutionary court. The hearing, held in secret, was inconclusive. He was later held in a detention centre near Tripoli. Despite repeated representations since then, including several at a high level, the Libyan authorities have not so far formally charged Mr. Maxwell. The British embassy in Tripoli has had consular access to Mr. Maxwell since his arrest and has visited him regularly thereafter. Neither Mr. Maxwell's family nor the Foreign and Commonwealth Office have seen any advantage to Mr. Maxwell in making public statements about this case while efforts were being made to secure his release. The embassy understands that Mr. Maxwell was recently moved to a different prison. Our efforts to help Mr.
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