Private Secretary
CONFIDENTIAL
FROM: A R Paul
Hong Kong Department
5 March 1990
DATE:
CC:
PS/Mr Maude
FILE
HRD 34014
RECEIVED IN REGISTRY
1 1MAY 1990
Mr Gillmore
Mr McLaren
Mr Lidington
Mr Fraser
fifa Yeo, MP
Mr Fifoot, Legal Advisers
DESK OFFICER INDEX
REGISTRY
PA
Action Taken
HONG KONG ASSURANCES: MEETING WITH PRIME MINISTER, 6 MARCH AT
10.30 AM
1.
The Prime Minister is holding a meeting with the Secretary of State and the Home Secretary to discuss what occupational groups should be covered by the General Allocation Scheme.
2.
Following the discussion today with Home Office officials (chaired by Mr McLaren), I recommend that Ministers consider two
basic options:
(A) A Subjective Assessment
This
3. Ministers could decide the eligible occupational groups on a subjective basis, without reference to any objective criteria such as "emigrateability". Quotas could be allocated to each category on the basis of a political assessment of what was appropriate. approach has superficial attractions in that it is simple and straight forward. The arguments against this approach are that:
(i) a scheme divorced from objective criteria relevant to Hong Kong would be very difficult to defend in the territory.
POPAEE
CONFIDENTIAL