To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs whether the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees' recommendations to the Hong Kong authorities in respect of (a) minimum internal space, (b) food and nutrition standards and (c) water and sanitation standards in Hong Kong have yet been met; and if he will make a statement about the current position.

I refer the hon. Member to the reply given by my hon. Friend the then Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs on 5 June.Wherever possible, UNHCR recommendations have been adopted. In respect of food, nutrition, and water standards, this remains the position.Although it has not yet been possible to meet recommendations on space standards and the provision of toilets, the expected opening in December of a new detention facility at Tai A Chau will, together with the relatively low arrival rate in 1990 enable some improvements to be made. Whether it will be possible to make further improvements in 1991, and thus to move even closer to UNHCR standards, will depend mainly on the inflow of new arrivals and the rate at which non-refugees can be returned to Vietnam.