26 June set out the details, which are rehearsed briefly in the draft letter to OPD(K), The Hong Kong Executive Council have now endorsed the Scheme and we are ready to proceed. A first draft of the Order has been prepared.
3. The second Order would make some relatively minor changes to the British Nationality (Hong Kong) (Selection Scheme) Order 1990 which are necessary in the light of experience to date in the running of the Scheme. We are currently in the middle of the first tranche and as at 23 January we had registered 21,000
A principal beneficiaries and 37,000 dependents. The changes proposed would apply to the second tranche, which it is planned to start in January 1994.
4. The Scheme received detailed attention from OPD when it was devised and, even though the
the proposed amendments are not substantial, it seems right to let the Committee know what is afoot. It should be possible for the matter to be dealt with by correspondence without the need for a meeting. The FCO have asked us to include in the letter an assurance that they expect the China dimension to be able to be handled with little difficulty. The FCO think the proposals are unlikely to excite the Chinese and they will arrange to notify them of them in advance.
IB.2/JM
ARR
AR RAWSTHORNE
E'd
SEÞ209/180
ZS:ST £6, 831 80