§ Mr. ColvinTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what funds the Government are making available this financial year towards the cost of accommodation for, and repatriation of, Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong.
§ Mr. MaudeWe have provided £15.95 million for this purpose. Parliamentary approval for this new service is being sought in the Winter Supplementary Estimate for the vote for other external relations (Class II, Vote 2) which covers expenditure of £5.8 million for Vietnamese boat people. A further £10.15 million will be sought in a spring Supplementary Estimate. Pending that approval, urgent expenditure will be met by further repayable advances of £10.15 million from the contingencies fund.