TNAG-1726-FCO40-2439-Minutes-and-Hansards-of-the-Legislative-Council-of-Hong-Kong-1988 — Page 239

QESTION NO &

STION

MR.JACKIE CHAN:

Sir, is there any evidence to

illustrate that these vocational training programmes for

Vietnamese refugees will enhance their chances of being accepted by third countries for resettlement?

SECRETARY FOR SECURITY: I do not have any details about that,

Sir, but there is some evidence to show that those who have

received vocational training find it easier to resettle and

to integrate more easily into recipient countries.

PROF. POON:

Sir, with reference to the first

paragraph of the answer, what are the relative contributions made by the United Nations High Commission for Refugees and by the

Hong Kong Government towards the cost of the vocational training?

SECRETARY FOR SECURITY: Sir, in giving this answer, I think I would like to expand a little bit on the difficulty that we have

had in finding precisely how much money is allocated to vocational training on its own.

Government provides financial assistance to the voluntary agencies

in respect of a range of services which are provided for refugees in the closed camps,

and these services include recreational

As you know, the Hong Kong

facilities, education, work programmes and vocational training. The reason why it is difficult to isolate the amounts specifically allocated for vocational training is because the government assistance is provided by means of the payment of lump sums to the voluntary agencies concerned. I can, however, provide the

details for the financial assistance of these lump sums for the

services which I have mentioned. In the financial year 86-87

the Hong Kong Government provided $1.2 million or 22 per cent of the total funding as compared with $2.7 million supplied by the

voluntary agencies own resources and $1.6 million from

UNHCR funding.

le.

#