CONFIDENTIAL
14112
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2.
DURING THE PASSAGE OF THE HONG KONG BILL HER MAJESTY'S
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 OPEN SQUARE BRACKETS FOOTNOTE 1: OFFICIAL REPORT: VOLUME 71, NUMBER 43, COLUMN 735: VOLUME 460,
NUMBER 46, COLUMN 484 CLOSE SQUARE BRACKETS. THE SECOND WAS THAT
IN VIEW OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ORDER IT SHOULD
BE SUBJECT TO MORE EXTENDED PARLIAMENTRY SCRUTINY THAN THE USUAL
AFFIRMATIVE RESOLUTION PROCEDURE ALLOWS OPEN SQUARE BRACKETS FOOTNOTE 2: OFFICIAL REPORT: VOLUME 72, NUMBER 56, COLUMN 1069:
VOLUME 460, NUMBER 46, COLUMN 503 CLOSE SQUARE BRACKETS. ORDERS
MADE UNDER THE AFFIRMATIVE RESOLUTION PROCEDURE REQUIRE
PARLIAMENT'S POSITIVE APPROVAL, USUALLY FOLLOWING A DEBATE OF A ONE AND A HALF HOURS, AND CANNOT BE AMENDED, BUT MERELY ACCEPTED OR REJECTED AS A WHOLE. 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 HONG KONG ACT) BEFORE IT IS
RE-PRESENTED FOR APPROVAL.
3.
HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT HOPE 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 ARRANGED FOR THIS WHITE PAPER TO BE PUBLISHED
SIMULTANEOUSLY IN OONG KONG. THEY INTEND TO ALLOW AMPLE TIME FOR
THE PUBLIC TO MAKE KNOWN THEIR VIEWS BEFORE INITIATING THE FIRST
DEBATES IN BOTH HOUSES. 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
PARAGRAPHS 8 TO 33 PROVIDE A COMMENTARY ON THE DRAFT ORDER
ITSELF.
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