§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what response he intends to give to the recent urgent representations from Miss Lydia Dunn, senior member of the Hong Kong Legislative Council, concerning the situation of Vietnamese refugees in Hong Kong; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. WaldegraveWe are urgently considering, with the Home Secretary, all aspects of the problem, including those raised by Miss Dunn. The reply will inter alia emphasise the priority that we attach to achieving a comprehensive solution to the problem as soon as possible and the considerable efforts that we are devoting to this end.
§ Mr. FoulkesTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Vietnamese refugees there are currently in Hong Kong; and what are the comparable figures for the same period in each of the last 10 years.
§ Mr. WaldegraveOn 30 November there were 25,197 Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong, of whom 15,323 were refugees. Figures at the end of November since 1979 are as follows:
Year People 1979 53,236 1980 23,980 1981 13,135 1982 12,787 1983 12,950 1984 12,254 1985 9,577 1986 8,047 1987 9,331