FRIDAY, JUNE 8, 1984
10
MP'S COMING ON SOCIAL STUDY VISIT
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FIVE MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF COMMONS SUB-COMMITTEE ON RACE RELATIONS AND IMMIGRATION (SCORRI) WILL VISIT HONG KONG FROM JUNE 10 TO 16 TO HELP IN THEIR INQUIRY INTO THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS FACED BY THE CHINESE COMMUNITY IN BRITAIN.
THEIR PROGRAMME IS DESIGNED TO GIVE THE MP'S AS CLEAR AN UNDERSTANDING OF THE BACKGROUND OF THE CHINESE COMMUNITY IN THE UK AS IS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE TIME AVAILABLE.
THEY ARE MR JOHN WHEELER (CHAIRMAN), MR ROBIN CORBETT, MR JEREMY HANLEY, MR JOHN HUNT, AND MS CLARE SHORT.
SINCE MOST OF THE CHINESE IN THE UK COME FROM THE NEW TERRITORIES, THE PROGRAMME FOR THE SUB-COMMITTEE WILL CONCENTRATE ON THAT AREA. THE FIVE MP'S WILL MEET THE HEUNG YEE KUK AND OTHER NEW TERRITORIES RESIDENTS, AND CALL AT VILLAGES IN YUEN LONG, TAI PO AND NORTH SAI KUNG.
THE MP'S WILL ALSO TOUR YAU MA TEI AND MONG KOK URBAN DISTRICTS. THEY WILL MEET MEMBERS OF UMELCO AND THE URBAN COUNCIL, AS WELL AS DB MEMBERS AND OTHER LOCAL RESIDENTS. THE CITY AND NEW TERRITORIES ADMINISTRATION, THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT, THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT AND THE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT WILL BE VISITED. THEY WILL ALSO HAVE LUNCH WITH THE GOVERNOR. THE VISITORS WILL GIVE A PRESS CONFERENCE ON JUNE 15 (FRIDAY).
A GOVERNMENT SPOKESMAN SAID, THIS IS NOT THE FIRST TIME THE SUB-COMMITTEE HAS EXTENDED ITS INQUIRIES OUTSIDE THE UK. HONG KONG WAS CHOSEN AS PART OF THE PRESENT STUDY BECAUSE MOST OF THE CHINESE IN BRITAIN HAVE CLOSE CULTURAL AND ECONOMIC LINKS WITH HONG KONG. THE STUDY IS NOT RELATED TO DISCUSSIONS ON HONG KONG S FUTURE.+
THE FOLLOWING IS THE TEXT OF A PRESS NOTICE ISSUED TODAY BY THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON RACE RELATIONS AND IMMIGRATION ON THEIR HONG KONG VISIT:
+IN JANUARY 1983 THE SUB-COMMITTEE ON RACE RELATIONS AND IMMIGRATION DECIDED TO HOLD AN INQUIRY INTO THE CHINESE COMMUNITY IN BRITAIN. THE GENERAL ELECTION IN JUNE 1983 BROUGHT THEIR WORK TO A HALT AND THEIR PROPOSED VISIT TO HONG KONG IN MAY 1983 HAD ALSO TO BE CANCELLED. THE NEW SUB-COMMITTEE, UP IN JANUARY 1984, AGREED THAT THEY SHOULD CONTINUE THE INQUIRY INTO THE CHINESE COMMUNITY IN BRITAIN.
SET
+IT SHOULD BE NOTED THAT THIS INQUIRY DOES NOT INCLUDE THE FUTURE OF HONG KONG WITHIN ITS REMIT. THE OBJECT OF THIS INQUIRY . IS TO ASSESS THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC PROBLEMS THE CHINESE
COMMUNITY IN BRITAIN FACE. THE SUB-COMMITTEE HAVE BEEN EXAMINING THE NATURE OF ANY DISTINCT DISADVANTAGES - FOR EXAMPLE IN EMPLOYMENT, HOUSING, HEALTH, EDUCATION. AND WHETHER GOVERNMENT AND LOCAL AUTHORITIES ARE SUFFICIENTLY AWARE OF AND RESPONSIVE TO THEIR NEEDS IN AREAS SUCH AS GRANTS AND FUNDING, PROVISIONS OF INTERPRETATION FACILITIES, SOCIAL SERVICES, ETC.
/+IN THE