LUN IDEINTAL
8
again the "legal" arguments which prevented a definition
of nationality being provided under the Act and that HMG
would consider moving an amendment to remedy this fundamental
omission. The LPS said he would now go away and think about
think
the position and the views which had been put forward to him. He noted that Members had recently briefed Mr. Michael
:
Jopling on this issue and he also proposed to discuss the
position further with Mr. Jopling. Miss Joyce M. Bennett
pointed out that there had been a marked fall in applications for British nationality in Hong Kong, and Miss DUNN said
the nationality issue had also triggered some additional
emigration from Hong Kong.
Fees of Hong Kong Students in the UK
12.
Mr. Alex WU briefly explained Hong Kong's
resentment at the treatment of HK students as "overseas"
students in the UK. The decision represented a loss to
Britain as well as to Hong Kong and it was unfortunate
it had coincided with the passage of the controversal
British Nationality Bill. The position was aggravated further by the fact that students from other dependent
territories, France for example, were treated more
favourably by the UK than Hong Kong students. The LPS
said no one liked the economic restraints which were at
the heart of the problem. There were discussions in
progress and he, hoped they would produce a solution, but
he did not see the former position of Hong Kong students
being restored.
/P.9