TNAG-2367-FCO40-3440-British-Dependent-Territories-(British-Overseas-Territories)-1991 — Page 114

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FROM:

A R Paul

HKD 213/1

RECEIVERIN

DATE:

-

1 MAY 1991

DESK OFFICEN

INDEX

Mr Baker-Bates

SAAD

PA

ALTIC

Hong Kong Department

19 March 1991

CC:

Mr Burns

Ms Spencer

Mr Beamish

Mr Gorham, WIAD

DEPENDENT TERRITORIES WORK PERMIT SCHEME

1.

Thank you for your minute of 14 March expressing the

hope that St Helena might continue to benefit from the Work

Permit Scheme.

15

2. I sympathise with the political arguments put forward in your minute.

Indeed, these arguments apply with equal force

to Hong Kong. Unfortunately, the Home Office do not attach

the same weight to them as we do.

3

I also note your view that the discontinuation of the

Work Permit Scheme would have "a considerable effect on the

UK's Aid bill" and would make the Island even more dependent

on HMG. It is obviously for you to decide how to deploy

these arguments. But as you will appreciate, the Aid bill

is not of direct concern to the Home Office and I doubt

whether they would accept that the discontinuation of the

Work Permit Scheme for the Island would necessarily have to

lead to a considerable increase in it.

DUNAEP/1

CC

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