TNAG-1975-FCO40-2808-Financial-assistance-for-Vietnamese-refugees-in-Hong-Kong-1989 — Page 95

CONFIDENTIAL

*

4755

MDHIAN 0115

3 =

BUT COULD ACCURATELY BE PRESENTED AS THE PROVISION OF EMERGENCY

RELIEF SINCE THE NEW ACCOMMODATION WOULD MAKE CONDITIONS MORE

TOLERABLE FOR PEOPLE WHO WERE MOVED OUT OF THE TEMPORARY RECEPTION CENTRES SET UP IN THE INTERIM.

(C) HMG WOULD MEET THE COST OF A SUBSTANDARD AND MAKESHIFT WHITEHEAD (PARA (D) OF MY TELNO 1073 REFERS). THIS WOULD INVOLVE A CONTRIBUTION OF APPROX HK DOLLARS 40 MILLION. FOR THE REASONS INDICATED IN MY TELNO 1072, THIS OPTION COULD NOT BE MAINTAINED FOR ANY LENGTH OF TIME WITHOUT FURTHER SUBSTANTIAL IMPROVEMENTS

AND IS THEREFORE NOT (NOT) RECOMMENDED.

ANY OF THESE OPTIONS WOULD, IN MY JUDGMENT, RECONCILE FINANCE COMMITTEE TO THE AUTHORISATION OF FURTHER FUNDS BY HONG KONG AND

WOULD HAVE A SIGNIFICANT POLITICAL EFFECT IN REVIVING CONFIDENCE

HERE IN HMG'S GENERAL COMMITMENT TO ASSISTING HONG KONG TO

RESOLVE ITS CURRENT VBP PROBLEM. ON THE OTHER HAND, WITHOUT A SIGNIFICANT GESTURE BY HMG THERE IS A VERY STRONG LIKELIHOOD THAT

FINANCE COMMITTEE WOULD REFUSE TO VOTE ADDITIONAL FUNDS OR WOULD AT

ANY RATE BLOCK FURTHER WORK ON WHITEHEAD.

I SHOULD BE GRATEFUL FOR A REPLY BY THE END OF THIS WEEK IF AT ALL POSSIBLE, AS WE SHALL NEED TO FINALISE OUR OWN FINANCIAL PLANS VERY QUICKLY. I AM ANTICIPATING THAT WE SHALL NEED TO SUBMIT OUR

FUNDING PROPOSALS TO THE FINANCE COMMITTEE MEETING ON 26 APRIL.

4.

MY FIRST IFT CONTAINS A BREAKDOWN OF COST ESTIMATES FOR

TEMPORARY ACCOMMODATION AND WHITEHEAD STAGES 3 AND 4. MY SECOND

IFT CONTAINS INFORMATION REQUESTED IN PARA 4 OF YOUR TELNO 789.

5.

WILSON

YYYY

MAIN

а

96

DISTRIBUTION

102

VIETNAMESE BOAT PEOPLE IN HK

LIMITED

HKD SEAD

NEWS

PS

PS/LORD GLENARTHUR

PS/MR PATTEN ODA

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CONFIDENTIAL