TNAG-1910-FCO40-2714-Financial-assistance-from-the-UK-Government-to-Vietnamese-re-1989 — Page 168

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Genary

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DATE:

CHRIS PATTEN

12 May 1989

Secretary of State

Mr Eggar PUS

Mr Caines

Mr Ainscow Chief Clerk Mr Gilmore Mr Manning Mr Ireton

Mr Kerby

Mr McLaren

Mr Blatherwick

Mr Machin

Mr Raleigh

Mr Graham-Harrison

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Mr Colvin, SEAD Mr Crabbie, RMD

(45)

Lord Glenarthur

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VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HONG KONG : EMERGENCY TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION

Thank you for your minute of 11 May requesting disaster relief of £250,000 for the purchase of tents for Hong Kong.

2. Happily the situation has now been resolved. My Disaster Unit has this morning located a UK firm with a subsidiary based in Hong Kong which is holding 100 tents. Certain essential accessories for the tents are being flown out from here this weekend and your officials have confirmed with the Hong Kong Government that they will purchase and pay for the tents and accessories locally. The question of using disaster relief funds therefore falls away.

3. Nevertheless, I must say that I was rather concerned to receive your request for further assistance for Hong Kong from the aid programme. As I thought I had made only too plain several weeks ago, the recent allocation of £6 million for Pillar Point has fully committed our refugee funds.

I was therefore surprised to learn that the proposed letter to the Chief Secretary has yet to issue. On the disaster relief side we have a balance of £2.5 million which has to see us through the remainder of the current financial year. There are more than enough demands on these dwindling resources and I have to say that further calls on them for displaced persons in Hong Kong would place an intolerable strain on our ability to cope with genuine disasters elsewhere in the world.