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They wanted to be assured that it would be internationally acceptable as a travel document, and that its holder would enjoy the same rights of access to other countries as those holding British Dependent Territory passports. And they asked that the new passport should say that the holder did not need entry clearance to enter the UK. Members also supported the request by the non-ethnic Chinese minority in Hong Kong and by some former servicemen to be granted British citizenship rather than British National (Overseas) status or British
Overseas citizenship. These views were set out in a letter
of 3 January from the senior unofficial member of the Legislative Council. A formal motion endorsing the letter was passed by the Legislative Council on 8 January. I shall respond to these points in a few minutes. But I think it would
be for the convenience of the House if I first set out
briefly the Government's proposals contained inthe draft Order in Council and explained more fully in the White Paper.
I should like to make it clear at the outset that the Order can,
by definition, affect only those people who are British. Dependent Territories citizens by virtue of a connection with Hong Kong. It cannot therefore affect anyone who is
not a British Dependent Territories citizen, or whose
citizenship can be derived wholly from a connection with another dependent territory. But it is not sufficient simply to refer in the Order to "a connection with Hong Kong" without defining what such a connection may be. Article 2
of the draft Order provides that definition.
It sets out
/in a