PARLIAMENTARY QUESTION FOR PRIORITY WRITTEN ANSWER ON FRIDAY 19 JANUARY 1990
To ask the Secretary of
Mr Tom Pendry (Stalybridge and Hyde): State for the Home Department, how many Hong Kong citizens will be eligible for British citizenship under the British Nationality Act, Section 4, subsection 5 in return for
return for rendering
rendering Crown services.
DRAFT REPLY
There
are currently some 180,000 Hong Kong British Dependent
Territories citizens in Crown service under the government of Hong Kong who are eligible to apply for registration as British
citizens under section 4(5) of the British Nationality Act 1981.
An unknown additional number are eligible on the basis of past
service.
accordance with the policy announced when the
British Nationality Act 1981 was before Parliament, the discretionary powers under this provision are at present used
sparingly.
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