TNAG-1418-FCO40-1901-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 143

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sharing of the refugee burden, involving similar gestures by the UK

and other resettlement countries. It will be interesting to hear

the Governor's

views on this next week.

12.

Finally, the last section (paras 40 and 41) presses the FCO to

tackle the problem urgently. We would not argue with this.

But a

sense of urgency will not solve anything unless we can get the right

decisions from the Home Office on resettlement.

X

HMG's response to the report

13. The Government' S formal reply to Select Committee reports

normally takes the form of a White Paper. Parliamentary Unit advise

that this would be appropriate on this occasion, although the

ultimate decision will rest with the Home Office. The Home Office

are likely to be slower than us in preparing their reply, since most

of the report's recommendations call for detailed action by them.

It would be open

open to us, in consultation with the Home Office to

state our views on the recommendations by other means (eg an

inspired Parliamentary Question) in advance of publication of the

White Paper.

But until we know the Home Office' S reponse on the

recommendations for relaxation of the family reunion criteria and

acceptance of a small share of the hard core of long stayers, (paras

17 and 39(iii)) we shall not be in a position to state our

intentions with regard to some of the other key recommendations,

particularly those contained in para 39(i) and (iv). I propose to

seek a meeting with Home Office officials next week, and I expect

that thereafter a fairly early meeting between Mr Luce and Mr

Waddington could be useful.

19 April 1985

A C Galsworthy

Hong Kong Department

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