01 FEB '93 16:26 B4 LINO 051 255 1160
P.3/10
Second tranche of Selection Scheme
4.
The second Order would make some fairly minor adjustments to the British Nationality (Hong Kong) (Selection Scheme) Order 1990 in the light of experience of the first tranche, which has now been running for two years, The changes would apply to the second tranche which is due to start on 3 January next year and finish in the Autumn of 1995.
5. Hong Kong's prime concern is to correct some of the problems of under-subscription or under-representation which have or may occur amongst certain groups or classes of applicant. They are looking to avoid over-provision of places amongst occupations where demand has been lacking and to be able to transfer places to areas where they will be used. There are other small changes they wish to make at the same time, details which may be found in Annex A attached.
Librarians and related professionals
6. One fairly significant change they wish to make which does not require amendment of the original Order is an alteration in the composition of the General Occupational Class by the inclusion of "librarians and related professionals" amongst the "Information Science professionals". The Committee may recall that the original draft Scheme was very broad in scope and included most of the working population (although focused on people with higher skills) and that it was narrowed at the behest of the then Prime Minister. Hong Kong are not now proposing any reversion to the original scope. They have singled out this one group of librarians, curators and archivists because they are a section of the workforce with a high emigration rate. They see their service as of high value and
and they cannot easily be replaced. They do much to improve the population's literacy, knowledge and general quality and the rapid expansion of tertiary education in Hong Kong has resulted in great demand for library services. I believe that this is justifiable. An announcement
18.2/JM