E.R.
3.
POSSIBLE STATELESSNESS OF CERTAIN CHILDREN BORN IN HONG KONG
8.
Mr. O. Cheung expressed concern about the children born in Hong Kong to parents who were neither settled nor citizens but who had nevertheless been in the Colony for a considerable period. It was feared that such children would become state- less under the provisions of the Bill. Mr. Cheung's attention was drawn in discussion to the provisions of paragraph 4 of Schedule 2 whereby stateless children born in a dependent territory who were between the ages of 10 and 22 were entitled to be registered as a citizen of the BDT. Mr. Cheung expressed his satisfaction with this explanation.
ENTRY PERMITS
9.
Members of the delegation asked about entry permits to the United Kingdom. In practice regular travellers obtained an entry permit before leaving Hong Kong. It would be a great convenience if entry permits could be issued allowing multiple entries over a period of four or five years as, for example, did the USA. Apart from the considerable convenience to travellers, such a move would demonstrate to third countries the United Kingdom's attitude to people from Hong Kong and so might help encourage those countries to treat them with equal favour. The delegation appreciated that on each occasion that the permit was used the stay would be restricted to a specified number of months. They realised, too, that any changes in the permit-
holder's circumstances could be grounds for its withdrawal.
10. The Home Secretary said that he appreciated the convenience that such an arrangement might be to regular travellers from Hong Kong. It was noted in discussion that the availability of entry permits was a matter of administrative practice which the Government could change. There were difficulties in making a change of this kind applying only to Hong Kong, but the Home Secretary undertook to look carefully at the proposal.
PUBLICITY
11. After the meeting Mr. O. Cheung said that he and his coll- eagues had been invited to answer enquiries from the press about their meeting with the Home Secretary. They would confine themselves to general remarks, saying that they had expressed concern about certain aspects of the Bill and that they had been most cordially received.
Private Office
6.2.81.
C.C.
Miss Kippax
Mr. L.P.Wright
Mr. Hilary
Mr. Pakenham-Walsh
Mr. Addison
J
S.W.
Buys Samill
S. W. BOYS SMITH Private Secretary
Mr. Ingman
Mr. Lee
Mr. D. Grant
P.S. to Foreign & Commonwealth Secretary
Mr. Clift (FCO)