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7. Details of each component are set out below. A separate
quota is proposed for the disciplined services because the GAS,
which is designed to give priority to groups with high emigration
rates, would afford them only a small number of places. Staff
in these services are not emigrating in significant numbers, but
they are resigning to take up less exposed occupations, or ones
where the opportunities for emigration are higher. Their role in the run up to 1997 is vital, and a separate scheme, offering
a reasonable number
number of assurances, is justified. The SSS
requires a totally different method of selection from the points
systems which will operate in the GAS and DSS and has therefore
also been separated out from the main scheme.
Eligibility
8. The intention remains that eligibility for consideration
under the Scheme will be restricted to those holding British
nationality (see paragraph 5 of Annex A). Included in this
category are British Overseas citizens, British Protected Persons and British Subjects whose stay in Hong Kong is not subject to
any conditions or who have applied for BDTC status before the
date of the Bill's enactment.
9. The Foreign Secretary and I think it right that eligibility should be extended to include Certificate of Identity (CofI) holders who, although not yet British nationals, have applied for
BDTC status by the date of the Bill's enactment. A significant number of key personnel are likely to be CofI holders, and some
will have already applied for BDTC status. However, the procedures for naturalisation as BDTCs are detailed and can take
many months and we would not wish to exclude such people from the
new citizenship scheme simply on the grounds that applications have not been processed.
their
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