TNAG-1910-FCO40-2714-Financial-assistance-from-the-UK-Government-to-Vietnamese-re-1989 — Page 188

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret

Secret

Confidential

Restricted

Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence

DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)

(a) immediate emergency relief: we can expect

requests for direct assistance to Hong Kong (either

direct or channelled through UNHCR) to provide additional

emergency accommodation (tents, conversion of barracks

and other buildings into temporary accommodation for new

arrivals). In the very short term, the Hong Kong

Government may be able to squeeze the required funds out

of the money that has already been voted. But in due

course they will need to revert to Finance Committee,

with unpredictable results. In any case, there will be

strong humanitarian and political arguments for HMG to

respond quickly and sympathetically to appeals for

emergency relief, should the need arise.

in the

(b) additional permanent accommodation:

slightly longer term, it will be necessary to build

additional permanent accommodation (ie purpose-built

detention centres). One such centre (the Whitehead

project) is under construction at a cost of £13 million

and will come on stream in September. That will,

however, be insufficient if the arrival trend continues

at its present level. There is now a distinct

possibility that, if further detention centres are

required, HMG will have to meet part, if not all, the

costs. There will also be a need to find and train

additional staff to man such centres.

(c) additional staff resources to speed up the

screening and appeals procedure: all post 16 June 1988

arrivals must be screened in accordance with UNHCR