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WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 8, 1982
IN PRACTICAL TERMS, HE ADDED, A CHILD BORN HERE WHO DID NOT HAVE A PARENT WHO WAS A HONG KONG BELONGER, WOULD BE TREATED IN EXACTLY THE SAME WAY AS HIS PARENTS AND WOULD NORMALLY BE REQUIRED TO LEAVE WHEN HIS PARENTS DID SO.
+THE PROPOSED PROVISIONS ARE IN LINE WITH THE PHILOSOPHY BEHIND THE PRINCIPAL ORDINANCE THAT THOSE WHO ARE NOT BELONGERS SHOULD BE SUBJECT TO CONDITIONS OF STAY, MR JEAFFRESON SAID.
THE SECRETARY ALSO MOVED TWO OTHER BILLS THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981 (CONSEQUENTIAL AMENDMENTS) BILL 1982 AND THE BRITISH NATIONALITY (MISCELLANEOUS PROVISIONS) (AMENDMENT} BILL 1982.
THE FIRST BILL, HE SAID, WOULD SEEK TO AMEND OTHER HONG KONG LEGISLATION, WHERE NECESSARY, AS A CONSEQUENCE OF THE ENACTMENT OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981 BY:
*
INTRODUCING DEFINITIONS OF THE NEW TERMINOLOGY LAID DOWN IN THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981 INTO THE INTERPRETATION AND GENERAL CLAUSES ORDINANCE, AND
* SUBSTITUTING REFERENCES TO EXISTING CITIZENSHIP TERMINOLOGY BY THE APPROPRIATE NEW TERMINOLOGY.
THE OTHER BILL WOULD SEEK TO AMEND THE PRINCIPAL ORDINANCE BY:
*
SUBSTITUTING A NEW SCHEDULE OF FEES FOR APPLICATIONS
FOR REGISTRATION AND NATURALISATION AS A BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZEN AND RENUNCIATION OF CITIZENSHIP, AND
REVISING THE TWO PENALTIES FOR OFFENCES CONNECTED WITH APPLICATIONS FOR CITIZENSHIP.
HE EXPLAINED THAT THE PRESENT SCHEDULE PRESCRIBED THE FEES PAYABLE IN HONG KONG BY APPLICANTS FOR CITIZENSHIP OF THE UNITED KINGDOM AND COLONIES, A CITIZENSHIP THAT WOULD BE ABOLISHED UNDER THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT 1981 FROM JANUARY 1, 1983.
+THERE IS NOW A NEED TO PROVIDE FOR FEES PAYABLE BY PERSONS APPLYING FOR OR RENOUNCING THE NEW BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENSHIP, WHICH BECOMES THE APPLICABLE CITIZENSHIP FOR HONG KONG AT THE BEGINNING OF NEXT MONTH,+ HE SAID.
BUT THE FEES IN THE NEW SCHEDULE WOULD BE, IN THE MAIN, THE SAME AS THOSE CURRENTLY CHARGED FOR SIMILAR SERVICES, HE ADDED.
ON PENALTIES, MR JEAFFRESON SAID THEY HAD NOT BEEN CHANGED SINCE 1949 AND, IT IS CLEARLY APPROPRIATE TO BRING THEM UP-TO-DATE IN ONE CASE BY ADDING A FINE AS AN ALTERNATIVE TO A PRISON SENTENCE AND IN THE OTHER BY INCREASING THE FINE.+
DEBATE ON THE FOUR BILLS WERE ADJOURNED.
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