CC Ms. Dent
Mr.
Morris
Mrs Grimsey
Mr. Moorey
PARLIAMENTARY UNDER
SECRETARY OF STATE
Mr. Page
Mr. Taylor
Mr. Morris (FCO)
Ако 3402
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
10 JUL 1990
HOME OFFICE
QUEEN ANNE'S GATE
LONDON SWIH 9AT
Dear Mr Harilela
DESK OFFICER
INDEX
PA
REGISTR1
Action Taken
June 1990
Mr Peat Mrics Morgan
Mr Hobue
Ms Hancock
Wolo
Un for remotely this won't be the end of the story. Thank you for your letter of 4 May about the position of the non- Chinese ethnic minorities in Hong Kong. You also wrote to Francis Maude at the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and I am replying on his behalf as well.
I am grateful for your Council's support for the Government's proposed legislation, but sorry to read that you consider that we have sidestepped responsibility for Hong Kong's non-ethnic minorites. We considered their position very carefully when formulating the assurance scheme, but concluded that it was neither right nor necessary to treat this group as a special category within the scheme.
The underlying principle of the scheme is that it should focus on those key personnel whose emigration would damage the prosperity and stability of Hong Kong. (It will also cater, on a case by case basis, for those who may be vulnerable.) It would be inappropriate to weight the points scheme in the way you suggest so as to favour applicants on the basis of their ethnic origins rather than their skills.
Our policy on the non-Chinese minorities is, by now, well known to you. It was set out by the Home Secretary in his letter of 18 January following his meeting with representatives of the Council in November last year; and it was examined in detail during the Commons Standing Committee Stage of the Bill. As I said during those proceedings, we do understand your genuine concern and worries. We are, however, confident that the provisions of the joint declaration, the availability of British Overseas citizenship for those who would otherwise be stateless down to the second generation born after 1997, and the specific Parliamentary assurance about consideration for admission to the United Kingdom in certain circusmtances, will safeguard the interests of the communities which your Counc represents.
uncis
Bew wirken у
Celin
PETER LLOYD
Лада
pa
H. N. Harilela Esq