TNAG-2367-FCO40-3440-British-Dependent-Territories-(British-Overseas-Territories)-1991 — Page 124

FCO40 Hong Kong Department Records 聯邦事務部香港部檔案 All

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appear to have settled in well.

home from them,

and

remittances

Over 200 Saints now work on the Falklands,

and from over 500 Saints working

Ascension, and the 100 working in domestic service in the UK, amounted to

about £1 million in 1990. This is a significant sum in relation to total

domestic earnings of about £6 million. These opportunities to work abroad

also represent outlets for the frustrations of young people, enabling them

to widen their experience of the world, and return with new skills. They

also represent a valuable, probably an essential, contribution to the

6.

social stability of St Helena. The work permit scheme, under which just 50

Saints a year enter the UK, is a bore for the Home Office to administer,

but very important to the island. The movement of workers has been eased

by the building of transit accommodation on Ascension, and I hope that

employment opportunities for Saints on the Falklands will continue to grow.

Cooperation between Jamestown and the ODA has never been closer, and

we expect shortly to achieve Our objective of negotiating new financial

arrangements which will give us greater local responsibility for budgetary,

developmen! and shipping aid, together with incentives to cut costs and

increase revenue, in the interests of the

the UK taxpayer 26 well as the

island. Events during the year have in particular underlined the need to

exercise much tighter control Over our shipping managers, and to put the

job of managing our expensive new vessel out to competitive tender under a

performance-related contract as soon as practicable. I believe there is

potential for reducing substantially the shipping subsidy, now running at £2 million a year.

7.

11. +

company,

tober i extended for a further year the option for a commercial

Helena Airport Ltd, to take out a lease to build a simple

airstrip on the island and operate commercially a limited air service. The

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