HC Deb 24 January 1979 vol 961 cc169-70W
Mr. Wrigglesworth

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs (1) how many British civil servants have served on secondment to Hong Kong, and how many Hong Kong civil servants have served on secondment to the United Kingdom in each of the last five years;

(2) if, pursuant to his reply to the question of the hon. Member for Thornaby of 9 November 1978, he has made progress on the interchange programme for Hong Kong and British civil servants.

Mr. Luard

British civil servants are regularly seconded to professional, administrative, police and other appointments in Hong Kong. Detailed statistics about them are not readily available either here or in Hong Kong. A senior Hong Kong official was seconded to the Northern Ireland Office in 1977. Another has just started work in the Foreign and Commonwealth Office, dealing with Hong Kong affairs. Many others come here on duty or for training. Both governments attach importance to maintaining and strengthening these links.

Mr. Kenneth Clarke

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Vietnamese refugees are at the moment accepted as temporary residents in Hong Kong and awaiting resettlement elsewhere.

Mr. Luard

On 21 January 1979 there were 9,670 people from Vietnam wishing to be resettled from Hong Kong. This figure includes those who arrived on board the "Huey Fong."

Mr. David Mitchell

asked the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list the representatives from each country to the third group of the Economic and Social Committee and their full-time occupations.

Mr. Frank Judd

, pursuant to his reply [Official Report, 18 January 1979; Vol. 960, c. 827–830], gave the following information:

The entry given for Miss Eirlys Roberts should read: "Chairman of the Research Institute for Consumer Affairs; formerly Deputy Director of the Consumers' Association and Research Director, Research Institute for Consumer Affairs."