TNAG-1417-FCO40-1900-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 6

CODE 18-77

Mr Gal

Galsforthy, HKD

RESTRICTED) Mrlett for inf 2)pa Scorpi

22.2

Mr. Pekin Ms to other.

Thank you.

Reference...

The peopment

2.5.2.

like all the thers predicated

in

1

willingnam

to

rahe

a Sutoitantial quota

Vale iv

no

امام

30

VIETNAMESE REFUGEES IN HONG KONG

1.

Iton ?

further actin an

No, unlessure hear more from No 10.

Sir P Cradock telephoned me on 21 Februaray to say that Mr John Wheeler MP had approached the Policy Unit at Number 10 about Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong, with a proposal that there should be an international agreement, by which a number of countries, including the UK, would agree to take quotas for settlement. Mr Wheeler had wondered whether the Prime Minister would raise this during her Washington visit to Number 10, but Number 10 had not agreed to this. Sir P Cradock asked me for some background information to enable Number 10 to reply to Mr Wheeler's general point.

in

2. I explained that Mr Wheeler was the Chairman

of SCORRI, which was currently considering the question of Vietname se refugees

Hong Kong having heard evidence from the Home Office and the Foreign Office, and that we awaited SCORRI's report, which we understood would not be ready until April. A s was clear from the evidence Mr Luce gave to SCORRI, the nub of the problem was that unless the UK was prepared to take a further quota of refugees, other countries would be unlikely to increase their level

of

off take from Hong Kong. This would be The

SO whether or not there was an international agreement. Home Office, which had until recently been taking a hard line

on this question, now appeared to be prepared to reconsider

their attitude towards the refugees, in particular in the case of family reunification. But the ball was now very much with SCORRI to recommend whether or not the Home Office should be asked to accept a further quota. I t was therefore odd that

Mr Wheeler should have made such an approach to the Policy Unit

before the sub-committee he chairs had made its recommendation.

21 February 1985

Releve

R N Peirce

Hong Kong Department

CC:

Ms Walker, HKD Mr Nash, SEAD

RESTRICTED

HKK 243/2

RECEIVED IN REGISTRY

25 FEB 1985

DESK OF FICEA

NDEX

PA

REGISTRY

Action Taken

бон