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feel that all sectors of the economically active population
should be eligible to apply for British citizenship and they
argue that any distribution which excluded whole occupational
groups or particular occupations within these groups would be divisive and difficult to present in Hong Kong. HKG's proposals
on the way the assurances should be distributed are at Annex C2.
16.
Although over 2 million (78%) of Hong Kong's working population fall within the bottom five occupational groups, and
HKG's proposals would allocate them just 12% of the places, I am
deeply concerned about any of the assurances going to lower skilled groups. I am also worried about the inclusion of some of the presentationally difficult categories (eg performers, writers, artists, social workers) who rank higher up the list. We have offered assurances with the intention that they would go
to genuinely key people who are needed in Hong Kong but who would also bring benefit to the UK if, contrary to expectation, they
decided to come here. Although it would mean substituting our
definition of who are key personnel for the Governor's, and would
effectively rule out some employees of British concerns (PSA,
British Trade Commission, British Council and the Garrison - see
below), I propose that we should exclude from the scheme those
groups with an emigration rate of 1% or lower, ie the last seven
groups on the list at Annex C2, together with the following nine
other categories, which do not have a sufficiently key role in maintaining the prosperity of Hong Kong;
26.
performers, entertainment and sports personnel
14. social work professionals
22.
health associate professionals (except nursing)
15. writers and creative artists
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