253
布政司署
香港下亞畢道
**MX Our RLF.
HAVE YOUR REF
XI
الا
SBCR 4/2091/84) 340/1
Mr John Woodrow
RECT
TAA
(267)
GOVERNMEnt secrETÀRI
LOWER ALBERT ROAD
HONG KONG
-9 NOV 1993 28 October 1993
Hong Kong Department INDES Foreign and Commonwealth Office
Dear John,
uun lakas
Mr. Mom's (NTCD)
Whe spoke. It looks
as if Hong Kong slipped up at The suggestion at y Overseas BN (0) Applications Seems Sensibl, Guateful.
X
tobe for your
Thank you for your letter of 11 Octobet.
Comments
as soon as
d
possible. Woodras 28710.
We have looked at our procedures and past correspondences again. We have indeed followed the connotation of the wording of telno 602 ("... will keep his BDTC passport ...) in drawing up our procedures. We therefore do not require an applicant to expressly ask for retention of his BDTC passport.
now.
It would be impossible to reverse our practice Even if we were to do so, LegCo and the public would find it unacceptable. There will certainly be complaints and criticisms if the practice between Hong Kong and overseas posts is inconsistent. In the circumstances, is it possible for you to amend the instruction to posts?
a
LegCo
We
There have also been complaints that some BDTCS abroad have considerable difficulties in obtaining application forms from overseas posts, in particular Washington DC, A Legco member has put forward question asking if we have considered making application forms for overseas applicants available in Hong Kong. think this is a sensible suggestion. We may have to overcome some difficulties, for example, we cannot give accurate advice on the application fee to be paid in currencies of the country in which the applicant is residing, but these are not insurmountable. If you have no objection we will order forms from the London Passport office direct.
As the LegCo question is for the sitting on
3 November, could you let me know urgently (preferably by tomorrow) whether we can say that we are arranging for the forms to be made available in Hong Kong in our reply?
Yours
>
HUD.
(Miss Ingrid Ho)
for Secretary for Security
TOTAL P.02