FROM HONG KONG UNIT, B2 DIV,
Mr Yates (by fax)
VALEDICTORY NOTE
85,18,1992 15:21
NO.10 P. 2
cc Mrs Kellas
1.
Now that my time in Hong Kong is almost at a close, I thought that it might be useful to set down my thoughts on the work of the HONT and some of the issues that may need to be addressed both by B2 Division and my successors.
2.
Since taking over from Mr Page, the number of principal beneficiaries registered as British citizens has risen from 876 to 4,557 (as at 4 April). In terms of total registrations (ie principal beneficiaries, spouses and minor children), the rise has been from 2,511 to 13,472. However, the significance of these figures lies not in the work done but in the task ahead. The magnitude of this task can best be summarised thus; in its first year the HONT has registered only about 10% of the quota for the first tranche, which means that 90% remains to be completed in the next eighteen months or so. To keep pace with the objective of completing the first tranche by 31 December 1993, the HONT will have to register some 400 principal beneficiaries (or approximately 1,200 people) every week irrespective of annual leave or other commitments like passport issue. The higher throughput has been agreed with HKID as our revised objective. To put this in perspective, the maximum number of registrations achieved in any week so far was 885 and from the autumn the size of the HONT is being reduced with the abolition of the HEO post.
3. There is little point in going back over the reasons for the slow start (in registration terms) to the first tranche, but it is one of the issues to be addressed in the review prior to the second round. I think that we have to see how things work out in the next two or three months, but if the higher throughput of cases can be achieved more
more consistently by the Hong Kong government at all levels consideration will need to be given during the summer to the complement of the HONT. The obvious course would be to have a fifth EO, and given the time taken to select and post someone to Hong Kong I suggest that a decision should be taken on the complementing by July/August time. I would be wary of rushing into judgement, however, given the history of peaks and troughs in throughput so far. We also need to see how the HONT fares under sustained pressure (something that has not so far really been experienced). Fortunately the hiatus caused earlier this year (when we lost a lot of ground) by the need to reappoint the Governor's advisory committee should not be repeated, although cases do still seem to take a while to be turned round at Government House.
RECEIVED FROM 352 824 0860
1992