CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
HKD 340/4.
49
062116 MDHIAN 4508
TOP COPY
Q DIST?
FM HONG KONG
RECEIVED IN
TO DESKBY 291000Z FCO
TELNO 526
22 FFR 199
OF 200829Z FEBRUARY 91
DESK OFFICER
AL
INDEX
PA
ACHO
YRTELNO 327: BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT: TAKE UP
ASSESSMENT
1. AT CLOSE OF PLAY ON 19 FEBRUARY, THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED (9725) WAS SIGNIFICANTLY BELOW THE QUOTA AVAILABLE. HOWEVER, WE WOULD ADVISE AGAINST MAKING ANY SUBSTANTIVE RESPONSE TO SPECULATION ABOUT WHAT THE FINAL OUTTURN WOULD BE AT THE END OF THE MONTH. WE CONTINUE TO BELIEVE THAT THE EVENTUAL TAKE-UP IS UNLIKELY TO FALL SHORT OF THE PLACES AVAILABLE.
2. BASED ON THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS RECEIVED IN THE PAST FIVE WORKING DAYS (DAILY AVERAGE: 804), IT SEEMS LIKELY THAT APPLICATIONS IN ALL OCCUPATION GROUPS IN THE GOC WILL EXCEED THEIR RESPECTIVE SUB-QUOTAS. HOWEVER, THERE IS A DANGER THAT THE POLICE SUB-QUOTA WITHIN THE DSC WILL BE UNDER-SUBSCRIBED. THE REASONS FOR THIS INCLUDE: FIRSTLY, ALL POLICE OFFICERS IN THE INSPECTOR RANKS AND ABOVE, WHO GENERALLY FEEL MORE VULNERABLE, HAVE BEEN ACCOMMODATED IN THE SSC: AND SECONDLY, CHINESE OPPOSITION TO THE SCHEME SEEMS TO HAVE AFFECTED POLICE RANK AND FILE OFFICERS MORE THAN OTHER DISCIPLINED SERVICES: MANY OF THEM BELIEVE THAT THEY WILL BE STIGMATISED AFTER 1997 IF THEY BECOME BENEFICIARIES OF THE SCHEME. ON THE POSITIVE SIDE, A SHORTFALL WOULD MEAN THAT MORE QUOTA WOULD BE AVAILABLE FOR THE DSC IN THE SECOND TRANCHE, WHERE PROVISION AS IT STANDS IS INADEQUATE.
PUBLIC LINE TO TAKE
3. IN ANY RESPONSE TO POSSIBLE CRITICISM, WE SHOULD EMPHASISE THAT THE SUCCESS OF THE SCHEME SHOULD NOT BE MEASURED ONLY BY THE NUMBER OF APPLICATIONS OR BY THE NUMBER OF PLACES EVENTUALLY ALLOCATED IN THE FIRST TRANCHE. THE OBJECTIVE OF THE SCHEME WAS TO PROVIDE HONG KONG PEOPLE WITH AN OPTION OF AN INSURANCE POLICY AT A TIME WHEN HONG KONG WAS SUFFERING A SERIOUS CONFIDENCE CRISIS. ANNOUNCEMENT OF THE SCHEME DID THIS. FURTHER MORE, THE SCHEME HAS UNDOUBTEDLY HELPED TO CONVINCE MANY LOCAL PEOPLE THAT HMG HAS BEEN FULFILLING ITS OBLIGATIONS TOWARDS HONG KONG AND HAS EXERTED A STABILISING EFFECT ON THE COMMUNITY. IN ADDITION, IT HAS ACTED AS A CATALYST, ENCOURAGING OTHER COUNTRIES TO IMPLEMENT
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