NUARY, 1981.
EXCOMMISSIONER
DEBATE THREE
NR RAISON BEGAN WITH A LENGTHY DEFENCE OF THE 3ILL, HOTLY
HE REFUTED POINT BY DENYING ANY RACIST OR SEXIST OVERTONES. POINT SUGGESTIONS TO THE CONTRARY. HE THEN WENT ON TO TAKE UP A NUMBER OF POINTS THAT HAD BEEN MADE BY MEMBERS. I WILL NOT GO INTO DETAIL ON THESE BUT SIMPLY REFER. TO THOSE OF INTEREST TO HONG KONG. WE ALL AGREED THAT IN RESPONSE TO SIR PAUL BRYAN'S POINTS MR RAISON WAS AS FORTHCOMING AND AS POSITIVE AS WE COULD HAVE HOPED. HE REITERATED MR WHITELAW'S REASSURANCE ABOUT THE UK-HK TIES AND THE INTENTIONS OF THE BILL. HE GAVE A SPECIFIC ASSURANCE THAT THE POSITION OF OFFICIALS AND UNOFFICIALS IN THE SERVICE OF THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT IN RESPECT OF NATURALISATION
HE ALSO GAVE AN WOULD BE CONSIDERED AT THE COMMITTEE STAGE. ASSURANCE AS FAR AS THIRD COUNTRIES WERE CONCERNED THAT THE GOVERNMENT WOULD TAKE STEPS TO ENSURE THAT C3DTS WERE IN NO WAY DISCRIMINATED AGA INST. ON THE QUESTION OF PASSPORTS, HE WAS RATHER VAGUE. HAVING BEEN INTERRUPTED TWICE ON WHAT VORDING WAS TO APPEAR ON THE PASSPORTS OF C3DTS, IT BECAME CLEAR THAT HE HIMSELF WAS NOT SURE WHAT WAS INTENDED. HE SAID THAT THIS MATTER WOULD BE EXAMINED AT A LATER STAGE.
MR RAISON MAS LESS FORTHCOMING ON THE CHILDREN OF EXPATRIATES BORN ABRAOD, SAYING THAT HE THOUGH THE PROVISIONS OF THE BILL WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE MAJORITY OF CASES.. THE REMAINDER COULD BE DEALT WITH AT THE HOME SECRETARY'S DISCRETION. BUT HE ADMITTED BEING MOVED BY THE STRENGTH OF OPINION EXPRESSED IN THE HOUSE AND SAID THAT THIS MATTER COULD ALSO BE CONSIDERED IN COMMITTEE.
IN CONCLUSION, MR RAISON AGAIN EMPHASISED THE GOVERNMENT'S COMMITMENT TO VERY CAREFUL CONSIDERATION OF THE BILL DURING COMMITTEE AND HOPED THAT THERE WOULD BE A 31-PARTISAN AND
HE ALSO STRESSED
·CONSTRUCTIVE APPROACH TO THE WORK AT THAT STAGE. THE GOVERNMENT'S CONCERN. THAT ALL REPRESENTATIONS WOULD BE CAREFULLY, CONSIDERED, AND THAT THOSE AFFECTED SHOULD BE CLEAR AS TO WHAT WAS INTENDED.
ALL IN ALL, SIR PAUL, MR. CHEUNG AND I WERE WELL PLEASED WITH MR RAISON'S. SPEECH. THE HOUSE DIVIDED AND. THE SECOND READING WAS PASSED BY 202 TO 242. AS SOON AS THIS RESULT WAS ANNOUNCE! THE OPPOSITION MOVED THAT THE BILL SHOULD DE. COMMITTED TO A WHOLE, COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE. THE HOUSE AGAIN DIVIDED AND THE MOTION WAS DEFEATED BY 293 TO 243. - PROCEEDINGS CLOSED AT 12.35 A.M. GMT.
NOTE: THIS ENDS MR FORD'S REPORTS ON THE DEBATE.++++
CORRECTION: THE DATE ON THIS TELEX SHOULD BE 29TH NOT THE 23TH JANUX
23404 HKGOVT G
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61190 HKGIS HX