2.
shall not describe in detail the provisions of the Order. It is in the form
form which the House considered in January, apart from one
or two minor drafting and technical
amendments. It establishes those who, because of their connection with Hong Kong, will cease to be British Dependent Territories citizens in 1997; and it 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.
Our proposals in the draft Order fully meet our obligations in the Joint Declaration and properly exercise Our powers under the Hong Kong Act. I think that this has been generally accepted in earlier debates in the House as it has been in Hong Kong. But, following their debate last December, the Hong Kong Legislative and Executive Councils made three points which have attracted support in this House and in another place. They were first that there should be
endorsement in British National (Overseas) passports to show that the holder did not require a visa or entry certificate to visit the United Kingdom. Second, that former servicemen in Hong Kong who fought in its interests during the Second World War should be granted British citizenship. And third, that British Dependent Territories citizens in Hong Kong who were not ethnically Chinese, who had not exercised their right to be British Nationals (Overseas) and who had no other form of nationality, should be granted British citizenship in 1997 rather than British Overseas citizenship.
The Government agreed to consider each of these points fully and carefully. As a result, as the House will know from my announcement on 23 April, we have met two of the three
requests.
/For
the British.