§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs how many Vietnamese boat people he anticipates will be compulsorily removed from Hong Kong by 25 December.
§ Mr. MaudeAs of 27 November, a total of 3,629 Vietnamese boat people in Hong Kong had been finally screened out with no alternative but return to Vietnam. Some may volunteer to return. It is therefore not possible to determine in advance how many will need to be repatriated, nor how long it will take to complete the process. But a start will need to be made soon.
§ Mr. VazTo ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what financial assistance is to be given to each Veitnamese boat person who will be compulsorily removed from Hong Kong.
§ Mr. MaudeThe level of reintegration assistance to be paid to the first group of Vietnamese boat people who return involuntarily to Vietnam will be the equivalent to what UNHCR pays under the voluntary repatriation scheme. It will cover such expenses as transport within Vietnam, food, domestic appliances, housing and resettlement in other places, vocational training, job placement and production tools. The level of expenditure will depend on the details of each case.