CONFIDENTIAL
74
HICD 348/1
CONFIDENTIAL
RECH
TOP COPY QDIST?
030206
MDHIAN 9662
FM HONG KONG
06 MAY 1993
TO DESKBY 05090OZ FCO
TELNO 687
INDE.
OF 05070OZ MAY 93
63
OUR TELNO 676: PHASED PROGRAMME FOR REGISTERING BDTC'S AS BN (0)'S
AND FOR ISSUING THEM WITH PASSPORTS.
1.
WE CONSULTED EXCO ON 4 MAY ON OUR PHASED PROGRAMME, AS WE HAD BEEN REQUESTED TO DO BY THE LEGCO NATIONALITY SUB-COMMITTEE.
2.
EXCO CAREFULLY CONSIDERED THE CONCERNS OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE, BUT WAS FIRMLY OF THE VIEW THAT WE SHOULD CONTINUE WITH OUR PLANS. IT WAS SUGGESTED THAT WE SPEAK TO THE NATIONALITY SUB- COMMITTEE TO EXPLAIN THE SITUATION TO THEM ONCE MORE AND TO SEEK
TO GAIN THEIR CO-OPERATION.
3. WE CONTACTED EMILY LAU, CHAIRMAN OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE AND SHE WILL SPEAK TO THE MEMBERS AND TO TRY TO ARRANGE A MEETING LATER THIS WEEK. DURING OUR CONVERSATION SHE EXPLAINED THAT THE SUB- COMMITTEE'S MAJOR CONCERN WAS THAT WE WOULD NOT (NOT) ALLOW APPLICATIONS FOR BN (0) PASSPORTS AFTER THE DEADLINE IN THE PHASED PROGRAMME, UNLESS THERE WAS A VERY GOOD REASON. SHE SAID THAT SHE THOUGHT THAT THIS VERY HARD LINE WAS A REAL STICKING POINT. SHE SAID THAT MEMBERS WERE ANXIOUS TO SEE THE ORDER-IN-COUNCIL, BECAUSE THEY WERE CONCERNED THAT WE WERE BEING TOO INFLEXIBLE.
WE BRIEFLY EXPLAINED THAT WE COULD NOT SHOW HER THE ORDER, BUT WE WOULD BE WILLING TO LET HER SEE WHAT IT WOULD CONTAIN.
COMMENT
5. WE KNOW THAT THE SUB-COMMITTEE OPPOSES THE IDEA OF LEGALLY IMPOSED DEADLINES, BUT THAT SEVERAL MEMBERS APPEAR TO HAVE ACCEPTED THE NEED FOR SOME FORM OF ORDERLY PROGRAMME. WE WONDER, THEREFORE, WHETHER THE FORM OF WORDS USED IN THE ORDER WOULD SATISFY THEIR DESIRE TO TREAT LATE-COMERS SYMPATHETICALLY, BUT STILL ENABLE US TO MAKE DEADLINES BITE.
6. IF THE PHASED PROGRAMME WORKED WELL, THEN WE WOULD BE QUITE RELAXED ABOUT LATE APPLICATIONS, BECAUSE WE COULD THEN COPE WITH THEM: IF THE PHASED PROGRAMME DID NOT GO WELL, THEN WE WOULD FACE
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