181455Z
COMMENT: NOTE: HAVE ADDED MVD, NTCD, MISS SPENCER AND TWO ADDITIONALS
DIST ADVISE FROM MR J MORRIS/HKD
17
UNCLASSIFIED
FM HONG KONG
TO DESKBY 20113OZ F C O
TELNO 170
OF 200845Z JANUARY 92
HKD 340/1
ZB
-
HONG KONG BRITISH PASSPORT LEGCO QUESTION.
MR. ERIC LI HAS ASKED THE FOLLOWING QUESTION FOR WRITTEN REPLY ON 22 JANUARY
-
''(A) THE RESPECTIVE NUMBER OF PERSONS PRESENTLY HOLDING
BDTC PASSPORTS AND BN(0) PASSPORTS:
(B)
(C)
WHETHER THE ADMINISTRATION ANTICIPATES A LARGE NUMBER OF OF BDTC PASSPORT HOLDERS TO APPLY FOR BN (0) PASSPORTS BY THE FIRST HALF OF 1997: AND IF SO, WHAT STEPS WILL BE TAKEN TO HANDLE THE SITUATION: AND
WHETHER THE ADMINISTRATION WILL CONSIDER ENCOURAGING BDTC PASSPORT HOLDERS TO MAKE EARLY APPLICATIONS FOR BN (0) PASSPORTS IN ORDER TO AVOID A LAST MINUTE RUSH OF APPLICATIONS AND A POSSIBLE DELAY IN THE ISSUE OF
PASSPORTS?''
2.
WE PROPOSE TO REPLY AS FOLLOWS
''BDTC PASSPORTS WERE FIRST INTRODUCED ON 1 JANUARY 1983: IN THE NINE YEARS SINCE THEN, WE HAVE ISSUED 1,378,264 BDTC PASSPORTS. BN (0) PASSPORTS WERE FIRST INTRODUCED ON 1 JULY 1987: IN THE FOR AND A HALF YEARS SINCE THEN WE HAVE ISSUED 273,036 BN (0) PASSPORTS.
WE ARE AWARE OF THE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF A LATE RUSH FOR BN (0) PASSPORTS WHICH, UNDER THE TERMS OF THE JOINT DECLARATION, MUST BE ISSUED BEFORE 1 JULY 1997. WE WISH TO AVOID SUCH A SITUATION, WHICH WOULD PUT A GREAT STRAIN ON THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT'S RESOURCES. WE THEREFORE INTEND TO LAUNCH A PUBLICITY PROGRAMME IN THE NEAR FUTURE TO REMIND BDTC PASSPORT HOLDERS OF THE NEED TO APPLY IN GOOD TIME IF THEY WANT BN (0) PASSPORTS.''
3. PLEASE ADVISE DESKBY ON TUESDAY 21010OZ (210900 HONG KONG TIME) WHETHER YOU ARE CONTENT WITH THIS REPLY.
FORD
YYYY
ADVANCE
8
HONG KONG AGREEMENT
1
. (RESTRICTED)
1
MR BURNS
1
HD/HKD
1
HD/MVD
1
HD /NTCD
1
MS BROOKS LEGAL ADVISERS
1
SIR P CRADOCK NO.10
ΜΑΙΝ
70
HONG KONG AGREEMENT
1
1