The Governor has since told FCO and HO that he would have great difficulty in implementing this scheme in parallel General Allocation Scheme, whereby places would be allocated to the secondees who would get entry clearances in the first instance at the expense of passports to be granted immediately under the General Allocation Scheme probably to better qualified and more emigrateable candidates. He proposed that Ministers should be advised to drop the UK Secondment Scheme. If Ministers decided in the end that this scheme should nevertheless be pursued, the number of secondees should be limited to 300 and charged against the reservation for later batches of the package on grounds that passports would not be granted immediately. Ministers are being consulted on this matter.
LEGISLATIVE PROCESS AND IMPLEMENTATION
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Subject to agreement by Ministers and resolution of various outstanding points in the coming two to three weeks, a short and cogent bill setting out the composition and size of the package as well as giving new powers to the Home Secretary to implement it
will be introduced into the House of Commons immediately before the Easter recess in early April. A document describing the schemes and selective procedures in greater detail will probably be tabled at the same time.
35
Timing for subsequent parliamentary action remains fluid at this stage. The information gleaned from the last round of talks with the UK officials suggests that the Second Reading is likely to take place in the latter part of April and Committee stage in May. The bill would be introduced into the House of Lords in June with the view to obtaining Royal Assent before the Summer recess in July. Given the opposition to the package expressed by various elements in Parliament, there is a possibility that the passage of the bill will be held over after the Summer recess.
36
There would probably be secondary legislation, dealing with the details on the operation of the schemes, to be made by the Home Secretary, which would require a resolution by Parliament following the enactment of the bill. Announcement on the details of the package and invitation of applications will take place in Hong Kong as soon as the UK legislative process is completed.
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During the course of the UK legislative process, an HKG team led by the Director of Administration will stand ready to assist the HMG team in examining any suggestions made during the debates for changes to the package and the bill and, if necessary, in modifying
terms, systems and composition of the package.
the