TNAG-1911-FCO40-2715-Financial-assistance-from-the-UK-Government-to-Vietnamese-re-1989 — Page 124

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FROM:

RG M MANNING DATE: 26 October 1989

CC Mr Ireton

Mr McLaren

Mr Colvin SEAD Mr Crabbie RMD

Mr Griffiths FD

Mr Machin

Mr Davis

Mr David

Mr Haswell HKD

HONG KONG: VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE

As promised at yesterday's meeting, I attach a possible redraft to replace paragraphs 16-18 of the draft to the Chief Secretary circulated with Mr Stone's minute of 20 October. is obviously a question, on which Mr Colvin may wish to comment further, on how the proposed £5 million relates to the "up to about £4 million" already agreed by the Treasury. assumes that we may need both these sums.

My draft

2. The other points that I took away from yesterday's useful meeting were:-

(a) it was agreed that any assistance through British voluntary agencies (including any monitoring of returnees) would be appropriately handled through ODA Votes, as would programme aid if the latter became an option;

it was

(b) it would be necessary to submit to Ministers on the question of Vote responsibility for any capitation payments beyond the first group (which would fall to FCO Votes); not however necessary to broach this subject with Ministers in the context of the proposed letter to the Treasury;

(c) in view of (a), ODA would need to be closely involved in future discussions with NGOs on possible assistance programmes within Vietnam: it seemed that such discussions would not however take place in the immediate future.

RG M Manning 26 October 1989

CONFIDENTIAL