CONFIDENTIAL
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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 PARLIAMENTARY 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
TO BE MADE BY AFFIRMATIVE RESOLUTION REQUIRE PARLIAMENT'S
POSITIVE APPROVAL, USUALLY FOLLOWING A ONE AND A HALF HOURS
DEBATE, BEFORE THEY CAN BE MADE. UNDER THIS PROCEDURE AN ORDER
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 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 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. ΤΟ
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.
THE JOINT DECLARATION ON THE QUESTION OF HONG KONG WAS
BACKGROUND
4.
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CONFIDENTIAL