TNAG-1910-FCO40-2714-Financial-assistance-from-the-UK-Government-to-Vietnamese-re-1989 — Page 11

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16 AUG 1289

CONFIDENTIAL

CHIEF SECRETARY

ET MON

TO THE

TREASURY

N" Pand HILD

eCPS

Панде

ps/ nr nause N'Gillmore

116

RMD nv Gabbie

Treasury Chambers, Parliament Street, SWIP 3AG

The Rt Hon John Major MP

Secretary of State for Foreign Affairs

Foreign & Commonwealth Office

King Charles Street

London

SW1A 2AH

Re

wii

Mr Stobre

wideed 111/8

Mr Haswell

Good

9 August 1989

11/8

Dew pho

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

to

Thank you for your minute of 4 August in which you seek agreement increase the scope of projects within the originally agreed sum of £4.25m for the provision of emergency accommodation for Vietnamese boat people.

It is unfortunate that the press statement prepared by No. 10 contained the wrong figure and I recognise that we are now publicly committed to the £4.5 million announced by the Hong Kong Governor. I agree that the projects set out in your minute are within the spirit if not the terms of the original agreement. I am therefore content with the proposal for expenditure of £4.5 million for emergency accommodation.

I understand that our officials have agreed that claims on the Reserve will no longer be necessary for the three Vietnamese boat people initiatives (emergency accommodation, Regional Processing Centre and the bilateral repatriation scheme) as contributing significantly less than expected to the United Nations Transitional Assistance Group (UNTAG) and the costs of the three initiatives can now be found within your existing programme.

we

are

NORMAN LAMONT