HC Deb 05 December 1994 vol 251 cc20-1W
Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs if he will list each of the incidents that have taken place in detention centres in Hong Kong holding Vietnamese boat people where either the police or armed forces were called in to quell a disturbance since 1 January 1994.

Mr. Goodlad

Since 1 January 1994, there have been three occasions on which the royal Hong Kong police force and the correctional services department of the Hong Kong Government have had to enter detention centres holding Vietnamese migrants to maintain order. The first was on 7 April at the Whitehead detention centre. The second on 19 and 20 September, and the third on 20 November, were at the High Island detention centre, both preceding repatriation flights which took place a few days later.

Mr. Cox

To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs what was the total number of Vietnamese boat people being held in detention in Hong Kong on 28 November.

Mr. Goodlad

On 28 November 1994 there were 23,538 Vietnamese migrants in detention in Hong Kong.