UMELCO
DRAFT SPEECH BY HON LYDIA DUNN, CBE, LLD, JP LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL 8.1.86
White Paper on the Draft Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986
sir,
I rise to move the Motion standing in my name
Order Paper.
This Motion reflects the anxieties expressed in this
Council on the matter of the White Paper on the Draft Hong Kong
(British Nationality) Order 1986.
The substance of Unofficial Members' views is by now
well known both here in Hong Kong and in Westminster. I have
sent a letter to all Members of both Houses of Parliament,
which includes of course all Members of the British Government,
expressing our detailed views. For the record I am tabling a copy of this letter.
Today I wish to make only two points. The first is
that the views of the Unofficial Members on this matter are
unanimous.
Unanimity among Members in historic times of an entirely appointed Council was the rule rather than the exception. Unanimity among Members of an entirely elected body is rare. In our Council I am glad to say that unanimity is
neither so rare as to be astonishing nor so common as to be unremarkable. On really important issues that affect fundamentally the lives of Hong Kong people we are able to reach agreement among a very diverse gathering of representatives of the people.
On the matter of nationality we are unanimous. Our views have received comprehensive support in the community since they were published. It would be irresponsible for the
British Government to ignore them.
UMELCO