HOUSE
OF
LORDS
From: The Rt. Hon. The Lord Tanlaw
Rt. Hon. Paul Channon MP
House of Commons
London SW1
9th July 1990
Оджет Дамя
Thank you for your note regarding my remarks in the Second Reading Debate in the Lords last week about the unhappy position of non-UK spouses under the UK Nationality (HK) Bill as it now stands.
I have made my views on this subject quite clear to Representatives of OMELCO, Mr Peter Heap the Trade Commissioner for HK, and Mr Julian Walsh. The Earl Ferrers and the Rt Hon Tim Renton, who is the Minister concerned, will have copies of this letter. I entirely agree with you about the unfair effect this the Bill will have (unless it is amended during the Committee stage) on a small but most important cross-section of British professional families resident in Hong Kong.
I have also received, as you must have done, a detailed and closely argued set of papers from Mr John Walsh, who is Chairman of The Concerned British Expatriates Society. The point which struck me as most relevant was his quite correct assumption that the effect on those concerned would be almost certainly to force them into a premature departure from the Territory. Surely this would be contrary to the primary objective of this Bill, which I understood was to try and stem the rate of emigration of key professionals from Hong Kong during the run-up and handover period of the Territory through. allowing a limited right of abode in the United Kingdom ?