HKD
RECEIVED
340/4
2 OCT 1990
DESK O
INDEX
PA
Dear Me Mathews,
на
Avon Taken
· Foreign and Commonwealth Office
758
London SW1A 2AH
24 October 1990
857
26/10
på.
Mr Mofrin
/25/10
✓
In his absence abroad, Lord Caithness has asked me to thank you for your letter of 9 October about the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act. As you may know, the Order in Council setting out the selection scheme was presented to Parliament on 15 October.
I
You suggest expanding the age range to which maximum points will be awarded to include people already over 40. agree that there is a bias in favour of people in the 30-40 years age group, but it is not correct that people over 40 are virtually excluded from the scheme. Priority has been given to those aged between 30-40, because they have a particularly high emigration rate and because they are likely to be in key positions around 1997. But people over 40 may reasonably be expected to earn more points for experience than a younger applicant. Moreover, if it is clear that in a particular profession, people over 40 are emigrating in significant numbers, or if there is evidence that people over 40 are making a particularly important contribution to a particular profession, special circumstances points may be awarded to offset the bias of the age points.
You also ask about the meaning of the term 'British company' as defined in the Act. A British company will be defined as one which the Governor is satisfied has a close connection with the UK. In reaching this decision, the Governor will take account such factors as: the country of incorporation of the undertaking and any parent company; the nationality of shareholders, partners or managers; and the extent to which the firm carries on trade or has business connections with the UK.
Malcolm J Matthews Esq Managing Director
The Hong Kong and China Gas Company Ltd Leighton Centre
77 Leighton Road
Hong Kong
/Although