CONFIDENTIAL
Paper No.HK 3/92
British Nationality Scheme
Determination of occupational groups in
the general occupational class
Purpose
This paper sets out HKG's views on the determination of occupational groups (OGs) in the general occupational class (GOC) for the second phase of the British Nationality Scheme (BNS),
Background
2.
The present make-up of OGs in the GOC is the result of a series of talks with HMG in 1989/90. HKG's original proposal was meant to be all-embracive, including virtually all OGs from managers, administrators, professionals and associate professionals to clerks, secretaries, workers and operators.
This was to prevent the Scheme from being criticised as elitist and to recognise the fact that within each occupation there were individuals who were highly skilled in their occupation and whose contribution to Hong Kong's economy was significant.
3.
A number of OGs were subsequently excluded from the GOC by HMG to take into account ministers' conscious decision in favour of a selective rather than universal scheme. They argued that the case for making any OG eligible under the GOC must be justified according to whether they were :-
(a)
(b)
essential to the effective administration of Hong Kong up to 1997; or
those whose work was vital to its prosperity.
CONFIDENTIAL