DRAFT
HONG KONG NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL
DRAFT OPENING SPEECH
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1. The draft Nationality Order which is before the House today implements the nationality provisions of the Hong Kong Act 1985.
2.
The Order and today's debate represents the culmination of a long period of careful work during which there have been extensive consultations with Hong Kong and frequent references to this House. It is right that the matter should have been dealt with in this careful way. Fair and comprehensive nationality arrangements are vital to the future of people in Hong Kong and for the
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arrangements
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successful implementation of the Agreement] we have reached] with the Chinese (authorities) Government for future.
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3. The Order is laid under the provisions and within the framework provided by the Hong Kong Act 1985. The Act itself stems from the declaration and
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agreement agreed with the Chinese government and approved by this House in
Jars of Britain and China December 1984. The proposals for the Order were published in a White Paper in October last year and were debated in this House and in another place in
They were debated too in the Hong Kong Executive and Legislative
January.
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4. I do not propose to describe again in detail the provisions of the Order. I would only remind the House that it establishes those who, because of their connection solely with Hong Kong will cease to be British Dependent Territories citizens in 1997, and gives them the right to acquire British National (Overseas) status and the passport that goes with it. The Order makes provisions also to guard against statelessness and for the necessary amendments to the existing legislation largely to reflect the fact that from 1 July 1997 Hong Kong will no longer be a dependent territory, but restored to China
5.
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These provisions have been extensively debated both here and in Hong Kong. The debates, while generally recognizing that the arrangements set out in the draft Order generally met our obligations and intentions under the agreement
focussed and the Act, identified three particular points which had been strongly advocated by the Hong Kong Legislative and Executive Councils. They were first that there should be an endorsement in British National (Overseas) passports to
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