{
2
42,000 people have
of people who contemplate leaving.
left Hong Kong this year. 55,000 are expected to leave
next year. A growing proportion of these people are
those whom Hong Kong can least afford to lose. This
haemorrhage of talent puts at risk the competitiveness
of Hong Kong's economy, the efficiency of its public
service, the effectiveness of its education system, in
short its future.
Many of those who are leaving Hong Kong would not do so
if they could obtain the assurance of right of abode in
the UK. As hon members will be aware from statements
by the Prime Minister and other rt hon Friends, we have
been working on a scheme to give such assurances to a
limited number of key people and their dependents in
the public and private sectors. The Foreign Affairs
Committee recommended such a scheme in their report in
June, and my rt hon and learned Friend the Lord
President told the House on 5 July that we would
provide one. I can now explain to the House the
conclusions we have reached.
We aim to give such people the confidence to remain in
Hong Kong so that they can continue to make their
contribution to the success and prosperity of the
territory. We have to weigh in the balance our ability
to accept the individuals concerned for settlement in
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