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to find out if any of our European partners take any
shortcuts in screening.
5. The draft lobbying telegram will need to be revised once we have got a readout from UNHCR, and when we have the revised American proposal which Eagleburger mentioned to David Gillmore. But I think we could be doing some quiet lobbying, in general terms, in the meantime, to let those concerned know that the Americans have now accepted the principle of mandatory repatriation and that only the question of timing remains to be agreed We could usefully be more frank at this stage with the Australians, who have been robustly helpful.
6.
We also need to consider what part of the aid package we are considering for Vietnam might be released once we have agreement on a quick turnround scheme. The ODA have prepared a very good draft paper (I attach a copy) and will be resubmitting recommendations on which elements we could release first.
7.
I have had a word with Adrian Swire on the telephone about the problems over the next mandatory repatriation Cathay Pacific flights. I am not keen on going back to the idea of using an RAF plane. But I do not think we should stand the Vietnamese down for 24 January yet. We don't want to appear to be going slow on bilateral arrangements in the hope of a multilateral deal, which the Vietnamese themselves are not keen on.
M.
Francis Maude
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