FLAG A
1573
British Nationauty / Hong Kong Bill
19 APRIL 1990
British Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill
1574
Waddington I
с
those services in proportion to their staff numbers. Applicants will be assessed on a points system, similar to i that already described but adjusted to take account of the needs of each service.
Mr. Ron Leighton (Newnam. North-East): Is the Home Secretary aware that Donald Tsang, the chief administra- tor of Hong Kong, has estimated that 750.000 people will apply for passports-i5 times as many as the number of passports available under the scheme? Will not that have a very destabilising effect on riong Kong:
Mr. Waddington: I have made this point already, and I do not think that it needs repeating. The act remains that the selection of 50.000 key personnel who are essential to the good goverment of Hong Kong and the management of its economy will stabilise Hong Kong, keep it prosperous and thus provice an incentive for the rest of the people to stav
Finally, the sensitive services section will provide for people no. as a consequence 31 service to Hong Kong or United Kingdom interests in either a civilian or military Pole, would be especially vulnerante or exposed alter :997
This is a scheme for key workers, not for a wealthy and Influential ente. It makes provision for teachers. Coctors. nurses, engineers. computer programmers. Jccountants. business managers, civi senants. policemen and the like. and reactions in Hong Kong so far iena no credence to the claim that it is considered entist or divisive there. It is—as the night hon. Member for Bethnal Green and Stepney (Mr. Shore) wisely said yesterday—selective, and that is its object. It is seen in Hong Kong as a scheme that will contribute to the stability and prosperty of the territory. and will therefore benefit the community as a whole.
There are two other groups of people whom I should mention-and about whom I was questioned a few moments 380-who are not covered by the Bill but for whom I believe some provision must be made. I refer to the widows and widowers of British citizens no were resident in Hong Kong. I am prepared to offer an assurance that they will be allowed to come here if they are still resident in Hong Kong, have not the cruzenship of another country and have not remarried. They would, of course, have been able to come nere anyway under the immigration rules dunng the lifetimes of their spouses. In accordance with the recommendations of the Select Committee on Foreign Affairs. the same assurance wil extend to the widows of former service men who served in defence of Hong Kong during the second world war under the Government of Hong Kong, and they will be able to come here irrespective of the husband`s nationality.
Lucciard
Mr. Mariow: My nght hon. and learnea Friend has said that the objective of the measure is to enable people to stay in Hong Kong, but if people have British passports when they come into Britain the fact is not registered. How will we know how many of those 20.000 or 235.000—actually come to reside here? How will we know how successful my night hon. and learned Friena's prediction has been?
Mr. Waddington: The Hong Kong authorities keep a careful check on people who leave Hong Kong and are absent for more than six monins. Obviousiy, if a person is granted British ciuzenship he is not liable to immigration
802 CD31/11 Job 3-8
control, but a check would be kept of those who left Hong Kong with British passports. i think that that meets my hoa. Friend's point.
Mr. Ted Rowlands (Merthyr Tydfil and Rhymney): The Home Secretary has not touched on the context of the measure and, in particular, the recommendauon of the Foreign Affairs Select Committee that it should be seen in an international context. What developments nave taken place in his outing for support from other European countries, and especially from the United States:
Mr. Waddington: My right hon. Frend the Foreign Secretary will deal with that at length in his final speech. so I shail leave it to him.
Mr. Paul Channon Southend. West: My mgat hon. and learned Fmend has not dealt with the question about the non-United Kingdom spouses of British citizens. Unless something is done, they will be in the cunous position of being treated worse than the Hong Kong spouses of Hong Kong citizens are at present. Their numbers are very smail. Will my right hon. and learned Frena say a word about that?
Mr. Waddington: There is no difficulty crowiced that their nuspanus are still alive. Wives of British citizens will have an absolute night to come nere under the immigration rules. The problem anses in the case of those who are widowed, and who have therefore lost their opportunity to come here uncer the immigration rules.
My right hon. Friend seems worned by my resty, so i shail let him have another go.
Mr. Channon: I am sorry to interrupt my night hon. and learned Friend again, but may I ask him to check the position carefully? I understand that spouses must have three years' residence here. That entireiv defeats the object of the Bill, as it means that families will have to leave Hong Kong rather than being encouraged to stay.
Mr. Waddington: With respect, my night hon. Friend is confusing two separate matters. Scouses will have an Apsolute right to enter the country, although three years residence will be required after that for them to obtain British citizenship. They will not need British citizenship to have the assurance that they can come here at any time dunng the lifetime of their spouses. The difficulty anses only if they are widowed, and that is why I am making special provision for people in such circumstances.
In conclusion. I should refer to suggestions that the Bill either betrays the Government's lack of confidence in the joint deciarauon or will reinforce uncertainty about the future among those not selected. I do not believe that either allegation stands up to scrutiny. It is a fact of life that following the events in China last June, confidence in Hong Kong declined to a low ebb. The Bill is designed to tackle that problem: far from undermining confidence. It wil beister 1.
As for the Chinese, they have not said anything to suggest that they will fail to honour their side of the joint deciaration, and under the terms of the declaraton it will be incumbent upon the Chinese Government after 1997 to go on allowing Hong Kong residents with British cinzenship to continue to live and work in Hong Kong, and to have free movement in and out of the territory. That is cleariv set out in paragraph 3(4) of the joint declaration, and in section XIV of annex I there:o.