CONFIDENTIAL
exchange.
1950
ра
بل
ино 340/4
RECEIVED
2 1 NOV 1990
DESK O'
INDEX
FROM: J C Morris
Hong Kong Department
DATE: 16 November 1990
cc: Mr McLaren
Mr Burns
Mr Paul, HKD
mamiti
Thacks
て
PS/Lord/C
Caithness
BRITISH NATIONALITY (HONG KONG) ACT: OUTSTANDING ISSUES
1. Lord Caithness asked for a list of outstanding issues
under the BN (HK) A.
Locally Engaged Staff of the BTC and British Council
2. Mr Lloyd wrote to Lord Caithness on 2 November to say that the Home Office cannot agree to make any special arrangements for LE Staff. Separately, we learned from the British Council that the Governor was prepared in principle to consider applications from a small number of their
LE Staff for consideration under the sensitive service
section of the scheme. We have asked him if he would be
prepared to invite Mr Heap to submit applications for his
LE Staff for consideration on the same basis. We await a
reply.
British Undertakings Advisory Committee
3. The Senior British Trade Commissioner has begun working on a provisional list of British Undertakings which will be required by 1 December. He will be assisted by an Advisory Group in Hong Kong. We shall be submitting a list of names shortly for Lord Caithness' approval.
POPAGP/1
CONFIDENTIAL
CONFIDENTIAL
Approved Secondment Scheme (ASS)
4.
In his letter of 8 October to the Home Secretary and OD (K) colleagues on the Order-in-Council, the Secretary of
State proposed that officials should consider again the
question of an Approved Secondment Scheme in a year's time in the light of the operation of the nationality scheme and its effect on British businesses in the territory. This
proposal was endorsed by the Secretary of State for Trade
and Industry. The Home Office have told us that the Home
Secretary does not intend to reply to this proposal but that we should regard this as acquiescence in principle.
They thought we might trigger the review of the ASS, if we still
saw the need, by a further Secretary of State letter in a
year's time.
The Multiplier
6. Recent reports in the Hong Kong press have suggested that the figure of 225,000 as the possible total of beneficiaries of the package including dependents is an over-estimate. They contend that given the prevailing average of family sizes in Hong Kong, it is more likely that the 50,000 total for heads of household will produce an eventual maximum including families of only 185,000. We are consulting Hong Kong over a suitable line to take for Lord Caithness' use and will submit shortly.
POPAGP/2
Jhoni
J C Morris
CONFIDENTIAL