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recommendations in the Foreign Affairs Committee report on Hong Kong which Mr Wells was a signatory. Paragraph 4.19 of the report
recommends that the assurance of right of abode should "be provided
to a significant number of Hong Kong BDTCs in key positions."
Paragraph 4.21 also states that while the Committee saw scope for section 4(5) of the BNA to be used more generously "we believe,
however, that a larger number of key people in the civil service, in
the police or, indeed, in any area of public life should be given
assurances before 1997 that they will be able to come to Britain
should they so wish to settle free of immigration controls."
3.
During the Secretary of State's meeting with members so of the
FAC on 6 March, Mr Wells mentioned that he had been told by the
Governor that the number of "key people" in Hong Kong was about
6,000. There is some misunderstanding here, as even if the 6,000 is
allegedly only Crown Servants, the number is still too low.
17,000 Crown Servants may be expected to benefit under the
package.)
4.
(Some
Mr Wells may refer to Mr Howell's recent request for a further
response to the Committee's report on Hong Kong. In view of our intention to publish a White Paper this summer, it is for
consideration whether we would want to issue two major statements on
Hong Kong within a short space of time. We will be submitting
advice shortly on this. In the meantime the Secretary of State may
wish to avoid giving any specific commitment to Mr Wells about a
further reply.
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