OCMIAN 5556
CONFIDENTIAL
OO HOKON
FM FCOLN TO HOKON
060930Z JAN
GRS 1665
CONFIDENTIAL
FM FCO
TO IMMEDIATE HONGKONG
TELNO 32
OF 060930Z JANUARY 86
INFO IMMEDIATE PEKING
27
MIFT: HONG KONG AGREEMENT:
PARLIAMENTARY DEBATES
CONFIDENTIAL
5556 - 1
Hhn 040/4
ник
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
- 8 JAN 1986
-
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL:
FOLLOWING IS TEXT OF OPENING SPEECH FOR HOUSE OF COMMONS DEBATE.
BEGINS.
1.
THE WHITE PAPER WHICH IS BEFORE THE HOUSE TODAY SETS OUT
THE GOVERNMENT'S PROPOSALS FOR IMPLEMENTING THE NATIONALITY
PROVISIONS OF THE HONG KONG ACT 1985. WITH THE WHITE PAPER IS
THE DRAFT OF AN ORDER IN COUNCIL WHICH WOULD ENACT THESE
PROVISIONS AND WHICH, SUBJECT TO WHAT IS SAID IN THIS DEBATE, WE
WOULD HOPE TO LAY FORMALLY BEFORE THE HOUSE BEFORE EASTER.
2.
THE GOVERNMENT BELIEVES THAT THE NATIONALITY PROVISIONS
IN THE WHITE PAPER ARE FAIR AND COMPREHENSIVE. THEY ARE INTENDED
TO ESTABLISH CLEARLY THE FUTURE CITIZENSHIP OF BRITISH DEPENDENT
TERRITORIES CITIZENS IN HONG KONG ONCE 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. 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 WITH CONFIDENCE.
1
CONFIDENTIAL
28