345
Written Answers
21 MARCH 1983
Sir Keith Joseph: The Warnock committee's report contained some 225 recommendations. In addition to those re ng legislation and incorporated in the Education Act 19, others were addressed to local authorities, health authorities, professional bodies and other practitioners in special education. Many of these recommendations were concerned with questions of good practice and improving co-operation between all those active in special education; as such they do not necessarily involve expenditure. The Warnock committee found it impossible to estimate the cost of implementing its recommendations.
FOREIGN AND COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS
**
Vietnamese Refugees
*- Mr. Arnold asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what information he has as to the destinations of Vietnamese refugees resettled from Hong Kong; and if he will list the numbers permanently or temporarily resident in each destination.
Mr. Rifkind: Up to 31 January this year Vietnamese refugees had been resettled from Hong Kong by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees in the countries, and numbers, listed. The figure in brackets represents the total number of Indo-Chinese refugees and displaced persons resettled in those countries by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees since 1975.
Argentina
Australia
Austria
Belgium
Canada
China
Denmark
France
Numbers
29 2,996 419 166
(1,281) (71,915) (1,645) (4,075)
15,149
(85,587)
37
*(2,853)
986
(2,904)
1,359
(87,297)
FRG
Greece
Ireland
Isracl
HKK 243/2
2,337
(21,326)
(120)
Italy
Japan'
Luxembourg
Netherland
New Zealand
24 MAR 1983
YES I 2413
Norway
Spain Sweden
Switzerland
United Kingdom
USA
(243) :- (366) (2,958) (1,917)
-38
111
TRY:
~ (97) (5,244)
(4,789) (3,462)
(925)
118
(2,441)
617
(7,746)
12,171
50,677
(16,041) *(488,995)
* Does not include some 260,000 Vietnamese who arrived in China in 1978.
†This does not include some 130,000 who arrived in the USA in 1975.
In February 336 refugees were resettled including, for the first time, 57 in Finland.
Mr. Arnold asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the efforts currently being made by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees to arrange resettlement for Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong.
Mr. Rifkind: Officials of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees are continuously in touch with the representatives of the major resettlement countries, USA, Canada, Australia and France; and in Geneva, with
176
Written Answers
346
(43)
the permanent missions of other countries which will accept smaller numbers of refugees on an annual quota basis. Other groups may be resettled under agreements by flag states to accept responsibility for those rescued by their shipping, or under the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' arrangements for pooling offers of resettlement places if the flag state is an unsuitable destination.
·!
Mr. Arnold asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, in view of the statement, Offical Report, 14 March, c. 40, that Hong Kong cannot be expected to accept any more Vietnamese refugees for resettlement, what is his policy towards future arrivals in the colony of Vietnamese refugees.
Mr. Rifkind: The present policy is to provide a place. of first asylum for refugees from Vietnam, pending · eventual resettlement in other countries through the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees.
Albania (Gold)
Mr. Ron Brown asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will take steps to return the Albanian gold held by the Bank of England to the Albanian Government.
Mr. Rifkind: The Albanian Government have laid claim to gold which is the responsibility of the Tripartite Commission for the Restitution of Monetary Gold, on which the Governments of the United States and France are equal partners with Her Majesty's Government. There are several claims against Albania or on the gold itself. Her Majesty's Government cannot therefore act unilaterally in the question.
*
Pakistan
Mr. Ron Brown asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what representations he has made to the Pakistan Government about the abuse of human rights in Pakistan.
DAL
diw urb to c Mr. Hurd: We have made no such representations. But we continue to make it clear that we deplore violations of human rights wherever they may occur.
Hong Kong
Mr. Arnold asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, pursuant to the answer of 14 March, Official Report, c. 40, (a) what are the differences between closed and open refugee centres and (b) what criteria decide the category of centre to which individual refugees are assigned.
7
Mr. Rifkind: Refugees in closed centres are confined to them. Open centres are managed by voluntary agencies on behalf of the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees. Refugees are permitted to move about freely and to take temporary outside employment.
Refugees who arrived in Hong Kong on or after 2 July 1982 have been confined in closed centres pending resettlement. Those who arrived before that date are in open centres, except for a very small number of trouble- makers who have been transferred to closed centres in the interests of public order.
DATE 21.3.83
COL. 346 VOL 3.9
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