TNAG-1420-FCO40-1903-Hong-Kong-Parliamentary-Sub-Committee-on-Race-Relations-and--1985 — Page 164

Over its remaining life, therefore, the Vietnamese Programme will have a fresh

injection of funds of well over £500,000.

The

The two main problems facing refugees are unemployment and housing. Government is responding positively to the recommendation that a Joint Working

Group be established of Home Office, MSC and refugee agency representatives.

It will establish an informal group with this membership which will be concerned in particular with the need for the other, smaller, refugee groups with special

labour market needs to have access to relevant education, training and employment

provision.

The Government's reply recognises the crucial role in assisting Vietnamese settlement played by the British Refugee Council, with Ockenden Venture, Refugee Action and its other constituent organisations and it confirms that their constructive strategies, now increasingly responsive to the views of the Vietnamese communities themselves, enjoy its full support.

PART III

In the third part of its report the committee made a number of recommendations about asylum procedures. The Government shares the concern expressed by the Committee at the length of time taken to decide initial asylum applications. As its reply to the Committee indicates, it is taking a number of measures to reduce delays. Among other things, the staffing of the Refugee Unit has been strengthened and a temporary unit is being set up to help to clear the backlog of cases. On most of the other matters covered in this part of the report the Government has either accepted the Committee's recommendations or sought other ways of meeting its concern. The main issue on which the Government has felt unable to accept the Committee's view is its recommendation that a decision in principle should be taken to extend the right of appeal to all asylum applicants. At present most unsuccessful asylum applicants already have a right of appeal in this country to the appellate authorities. The main category where there is no formal right of appeal before removal