HONG KONG
CONFIDENTIAL
NATIONALITY WHITE PAPER : DEBATE ON THE ADJOURNMENT
608
Makers
W
OPENING SPEECH
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1. Formal Introduction I beg to move.
ion.
The White Paper which is before the House today sets out the Government's proposals for implementing the nationality provisions of the Hong Kong
2.
ct 985. Attached to the White Paper is the draft of an Order in Council
ich would enact these provisions and which, following this debate,
"We would hope to lay formally before the House in the New Year.
The Government believes that the nationality provisions in the White Paper are fair and comprehensive. They are intended to establish clearly
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the future citizenship of British Dependent Territories citizens in Hong Kong.
onc Hong Kong ceases to be a dependent territory on 1 July 1997. We
are introducing them in very good time to prevent uncertainty and to
ensure that people in Hong Kong are able to take the necessary action
in a planned and orderly way. Once the Order is made there will be much
detailed work still to do both in Hong Kong and in discussions with
the Chinese. But the foundation will have been laid and we believe it
will provide a stable basis on which the people of Hong Kong can plan
their future.
X
The House will be aware that just over a year ago it approved the
Government's intentions to sign the Agreement on the future of Hong Kong
negotiated with the Chinese Government. That Agreement was widely welcomed
in the House.
4.
A
5. The House subsequently considered the legislation which was necessary
to give effect to that Agreement and to end on 30 June 1997 British
sovereignty and jurisdiction over Hong Kong. The legislation received
Royal Assent in April this year. The Schedule to that Act provided for
the ending of British Dependent Territories citizenship on 1 July 1997
and that those who were such citizens on that date should acquire a new
form of nationality, known as British Nationals (Overseas). The Schedule
also provided that an Order in Council might make provisions for the
transfer from British Dependent Territories citizenship to the new
citizenship; for the necessary arrangements for making applications
for the new citizenship; and for the avoidance of statelessness.
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22/114.