We understand the expatriates' concern that their spouses should be able to obtain some evidence of their status and an assurance that if they decided to come to the United Kingdom their entry clearance application will be processed quickly. We are setting up an arrangement whereby the spouse of a British citizen can provide the Hong Kong Immigration Department with details of his or her marriage and be given a formal letter issued on the Home Secretary's behalf explaining that he or she is eligible to settle in the United Kingdom providing the Immigration Rules requirements are met. The letter will also include an assurance that their entry clearance application will be given priority treatment.
The purpose of the Bill is to give the group of highly skilled or qualified personnel the confidence they need to remain in Hong Kong up to and beyond 1997. The Bill is a special measure aimed at tackling the unique problem of emigration amongst Hong Kong's key personnel. In introducing the Bill, the Government has been concerned that this should be an entirely separate measure which would leave intact the British Nationality Act 1981.
For the most part, we expect that the wives of expatriate British citizens will achieve settlement and, eventually, qualify for citizenship in the normal way if they, in due course, accompany their husbands to the United Kingdom. However, special arrangements apply for British citizens serving abroad in Crown or designated service. The spouse of such a person can be naturalised under section 6(2) of the 1981 Act without a period of United Kingdom residence if the employing organisation can show that this would be in its, and the United Kingdom's, interests.
I believe that the assurances which the Home Secretary has given in respect of the spouses of expatriate British citizens, together with the new arrangements for recording and confirming spouses details, deal very fully and fairly with the concerns which have been expressed by the expatriate community in Hong Kong. For the reasons which I have explained, we do not think it is either right or necessary to include a provision in the Bill to provide full British citizenship for the spouses of existing British citizens, or to amend the 1981 Act to allow time spent in Hong Kong to count towards the three year United Kingdom residence requirement.
However what we have done is to offer assurances which should remove any fears which the expatriate community may have had about whether their spouses or widows will be allowed to settle in the United Kingdom at any time in the future, should they wish to do
So.
I hope you will be able to accept that on this basis British citizens resident in Hong Kong need, feel no reason to leave Hong Kong simply to secure their spouse's immigration position.
FERRERS