durs Bornes Jones, Air Woodrow
See Telmo 1773
You are pursting fle follow-up to this.
^31/12
Бак
DIE
10 DOWNING STREET
LONDON SW1A 2AA
HKD
Cc: Ps
Ps/Mer Goodlad NTED
Ffa 30/12
THE PRIME MINISTER
24 December 1992
тра
Mr. Harms,
HKD 348/2
Thank you for your letter of 29 October.
I am keen to do all I can to help companies such as your
own play your full part in Britain's economic recovery. I have therefore looked closely into the background to your problem. Applications for British Citizenship are assessed in accordance with the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Act 1990.
Applicants acquire points under a rigorous system on the basis
of their age, experience, education and other criteria set out
in this Act. Those who fail to gain a place under the first
phase of the scheme can apply again in the second phase which
is tentatively scheduled to begin in 1994.
As far as your own employees are concerned, I am told that their applications were both properly considered under the criteria set out in the legislation. I understand that
the occupational group under which they applied was particularly competitive.
I well understand the difficulties which your company
faces as a result of the uncertainty over these two key
employees. But there is simply no provision in the
legislation for discretion to be exercised on any individual
application within the General Occupational Class. I do not