}
CONFIDENTIAL
5073
GOVERNMENT GAVE TWO UNDERTAKINGS CONCERNING THE PARLIAMENTARY
HANDLING OF THE PROPOSED ORDER. THE FIRST WAS THAT IT WOULD BE
MADE WITHIN A YEAR OF THE PASSING OF THE BILL, SUBJECT ONLY TO PARLIAMENT'S OWN AGREEMENT (OFFICIAL REPORT: VOLUME 71, NUMBER 43, COLUMN 735: VOLUME 460, NUMBER 46, COLUMN 484). THE SECOND WAS THAT IN VIEW OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ORDER
IT SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO MORE EXTENDED PARLIAMENTARY SCRUTINY THAN THE AFFIRMATIVE RESOLUTION PROCEDURE ALLOWS (OFFICIAL REPORT: VOLUME 72, NUMBER 56, COLUMN 1069: VOLUME 460, NUMBER 46, COLUMN 503). OPEN SQUARE BRACKETS. FOOTNOTE. ORDERS TO BE MADE BY AFFIRMATIVE RESOLUTION REQUIRE PARLIAMENT'S POSITIVE APPROVAL, USUALLY FOLLOWING A ONE AND A HALF HOUR DEBATE, BEFORE THEY CAN BE MADE. UNDER THIS PROCEDURE AN ORDER CANNOT BE AMENDED, BUT MERELY ACCEPTED OR REJECTED AS A WHOLE. CLOSE SQUARE BRACKETS.
IT IS HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT'S INTENTION TO PROVIDE TIME FOR
DEBATES IN BOTH HOUSES ON THIS WHITE PAPER AND THE ANNEXED DRAFT
ORDER BEFORE THE DRAFT ORDER IS RE-PRESENTED FOR APPROVAL BY EACH
HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT UNDER THE AFFIRMATIVE RESOLUTION PROCEDURE.
HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT WILL TAKE CAREFUL NOTE OF POINTS RAISED
IN THOSE DEBATES AND WILL CONSIDER IF THESE CALL FOR ANY CHANGES TO BE MADE IN THE TERMS OF THE DRAFT ORDER (WHICH MUST OF COURSE BE CONSISTENT WITH THE JOINT DECLARATION AND THE ACT) BEFORE IT
IS RE-PRESENTED FOR APPROVAL.
3.
HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT CONSIDER THAT THE WIDEST
POSSIBLE CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOW BE GIVEN TO THE PROPOSALS IN
THE DRAFT ORDER BOTH IN HONG KONG AND IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. ACCORDINGLY THEY HAVE BEEN ARRANGED FOR THIS WHITE PAPER TO BE
PUBLISHED SIMULTANEOUSLY IN HONG KONG. THEY INTEND TO ALLOW
AMPLE TIME FOR THE PUBLIC TO MAKE KNOWN THEIR VIEWS BEFORE
INITIATING THE FIRST DEBATES IN BOTH HOUSES ON THIS WHITE PAPER
AND THE ANNEXED DRAFT ORDER REFERRED TO IN THE PREVIOUS
PARAGRAPH. TO ASSIST THE PROCESS OF PUBLIC CONSIDERATION
PARAGRAPHS 4 TO 7 OUTLINE THE BACKGROUND TO THE PROVISIONS WHICH THE DRAFT ORDER WILL PUT INTO EFFECT, AND PARAGRAPH 8 TO 33 PROVIDE A COMMENTARY ON THE DRAFT ORDER.
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CONFIDENTIAL
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/заскакалоо