DSR 11 (Revised)
DRAFT: minute/letter/teleletter/despatch/note
FROM:
MR LUCE
DEPARTMENT:
George Robertson Esq MP
House of Commons
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the Second Reading
SUBJECT:
In my speech winding up the debate on
on the
of the Hong Kong Bill on 21 January, I I said that I would
answered.
0
write to those who had
those who had raised pints
raised pints that I felt I had not
You asked what provision was being made to
asses S the number of people who are entitled to passports
in Hong Kong.
Enclosures-flag(s)...........
The are approximately 3 million people who hold BDTC
status in Hong Kong, of whom slightly more than 1 million
have BDTC passports. As you said in your speech it will
indeed be a huge administrative task to issue passports
to all of those who wish to retain British nationality
after 1997, and it is one the Government has fully in
mind. No decisions have yet been taken as to when the
new "British National (Overseas)" passports will be
issued, but the potential numbers involved do suggest
that it would be sensible to make them available to
those who want them well before 1997.