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THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1977
UK'S NATIONALITY LAW UNLIKELY
TO EFFECT MAJOR CHANGE TO HK BELONGERS' RIGHTS
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THE HON. CHIEF SECRETARY, SIR DENYS ROBERTS SAID THE PROPOSALS IN THE GREEN PAPER ON BRITISH NATIONALITY LAW PUBLISHED BY THE U.K. GOVERNMENT EARLIER THIS YEAR WOULD BE UNLIKELY TO EFFECT ANY SIGNIFICANT PRACTICAL CHANGE TO PRESENT RIGHTS OF HONG KONG BELONGERS.
SPEAKING AT THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL'S ANNUAL POLICY DEBATE, SIR DENYS ASSURED THE UNOFFICIALS THAT THE ANXIETY EXPRESSED BY THEM, AS TO WHAT MAY BE READ INTO THE CHANGES PROPOSED IN THE GREEN PAPER, WILL BE FIRMLY REPRESENTED TO THE U.K, GOVERNMENT. WHEN THE H.K. GOVERNMENT MAKES ITS FORMAL COMMENTS ON THE GREEN PAPER IN THE NEAR FUTURE.
HE APPRECIATED THAT THE ALTERATION OF TITLE AND THE CREATION OF TWO CLASSES OF BRITISH CITIZENSHIP AS PROPOSED IN THE GREEN PAPER MIGHT GIVE RISE IN PEOPLE'S MINDS TO ANXIETY LEST THE LINK WITH BRITAIN WERE TO BE WEAKENED IN ANY WAY.
HOWEVER, HE STRESSED THAT THESE ARE NO MORE THAN PROPOSALS PUT FORWARD AS A BASIS FOR DISCUSSION AT THIS STAGE.
ON BRITISH GOVERNMENT'S ATTITUDE TO HONG KONG'S INTERESTS, SIR DENYS SAID THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT ACCEPTED WITHOUT QUESTION THAT IT HAD A SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE PROTECTION OF HONG KONG'S INTERESTS +THOUGH IN SOME MATTERS, OF WHICH THE CURRENT TEXTILE NEGOTIATIONS ARE AN EXAMPLE, BRITAIN'S INTERESTS MAY NOT COINCIDE WITH THOSE OF HONG KONG+.
+
HE SAID, IT WOULD BE DEPLORABLE IF HMG DID NOT DO ITS BEST TO SECURE A FAIR DEAL FOR HONG KONG.+
HE SAID THAT THERE SHOULD BE NO DISCRIMINATION AGAINST HONG KONG IN FAVOUR OF OTHER SUPPLIERS FOR WHOM THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAD NO RESPONSIBILITY.
SIR DENYS HOPED THAT THE U.K. GOVERNMENT WOULD NOT AGREE TO ANY ARRANGEMENT WHICH IS UNFAIR TO HONG KONG.
ON THE ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON DIVERSIFICATION, SIR DENYS SAID ITS PRIMARY OBJECT WAS TO INCREASE OTHER MANUFACTURING SECTORS TO OFFSET THE EFFECT OF THE RESTRICTIONS OF TEXTILE EXPORTS WITH WHICH WE MIGHT BE FACED IN THE FUTURE.
HE NOTED THAT THE VARIOUS COMMENTS AND SUGGESTIONS PUT FORWARD BY THE UNOFFICIALS ON THE SUBJECT OF INDUSTRIAL DIVERS IF ICATION WOULD BE GIVEN THE FULLEST CONSIDERATION BY THE COMMITTEE SO LONG AS THEY FALL WITHIN ITS TERMS OF REFERENCE.
/IN HIS
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