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FRIDAY, JANUARY 11, 1985
A
THE SPOKESMAN ADDED: THE BILL ALSO ACCORDS DIPLOMATIC PRIVILEGES AND IMMUNITIES TO CHINESE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT LIAISON GROUP WHO ATTEND MEETINGS IN LONDON. THIS IS REQUIRED IN ORDER TO IMPLEMENT PARAGRAPH 10 TO ANNEX II OF THE JOIN DECLARATION.
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+THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL IN DUE COURSE AND IN ADVANCE OF RATIFICATION ENACT SIMILAR PROVISIONS FOR CHINESE MEMBERS OF THE JOINT LIAISION GROUP WHEN THEY ATTEND MEETINGS IN HONG KONG.+
ASKED WHY NATIONALITY PROVISIONS HAD BEEN INCLUDED IN THE BILL THE SPOKESMAN SAID, IT IS IMPORTANT TO SET OUT IN THE BILL THE FRAMEWORK OF THE SÚBORDINATE LEGISLATION NECESSARY TO IMPLEMENT THE NATIONALITY PROVISIONS IN THE UK MEMORANDUM ASSOCIATED WITH THE AGREEMENT. ALTHOUGH THE MEMORANDUM IS NOT PART OF THE AGREEMENT. THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT CONSIDER IT TO REPRESENT AN UNDERTAKING THAT THEY ARE COMMITTED TO CARRYING OUT. BOTH PARLIAMENT AND THE HONG KONG PEOPLE WILL EXPECT TO BE TOLD, THE CONTEXT OF THE HONG KONG BILL, HOW THIS WILL BE DONE. SUCH AN EXPLANATION WILL HELP TO DISPEL ANY REMAINING UNCERTAINTY THERE MAY BE ABOUT THE IMPLICATIONS OF THE UK MEMORANDUN.+
REFERRING TO THE PROVISION FOR AN ORDER IN COUNCIL ON VATIONALITY, THE SPOKESMAN SAID: NO DATE HAS YET BEEN FIXED FOR THE MAKING OF THE ORDER IN COUNCIL. IT WILL CONTAIN A NUMBER OF PROVISIONS THAT WILL HAVE TO BE CAREFULLY CONSIDERED. IT IS NOT POSSIBLE IN THE TIME AVAILABLE DURING PASSAGE OF THE BILL TO CONSIDER AND PUT FORWARD FOR DEBATE ALL THE DETAILED AMENDMENTS TO NATIONALITY LEGISLATION THAT WILL BE REQUIRED. FOR THIS REASON THE BILL ONLY CONTAINS AN ENABLING POWER FOR A SUBSEQUENT ORDER OR ORDERS IN COUNCIL IN WHICH THESE AMENDMENTS WILL BE MADE.
+A DRAFT ORDER IN COUNCIL WILL BE PRESENTED TO PARLIAMENT AND MADE PUBLIC IN TIME FOR CONSIDERATION BEFORE ITS PROVISIONS ARE DEBATED. ORDERS IN COUNCIL RELATING TO NATIONALITY WILL BE SUBJECT TO AFFIRMATIVE RESOLUTION PROCEDURES AND THEY WILL THEREFORE BE THE SUBJECT OF A DEBATE, EITHER BY THE HOUSE OF COMMONS AS A WHOLE OR BY A COMMITTEE OF THE HOUSE. THAT DEBATE WILL OF COURSE BE OPEN TO THE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC, AND A RECORD OF THE DEBATE WILL BE PUBLISHED. THE ORDER WOULD THEN BE SUBMITTED FOR APPROVAL BY THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. PROCEDURES WILL BE BASICALLY THE SAME FOR THE SUBSEQUENT CONSIDERATION BY THE HOUSE OF LORDS+.
THE SPOKESMAN ALSO STRESSED THAT THE PRESENT POSITION OF HONG KONG BDTCS WILL REMAIN UNCHANGED UNTIL 1997.
*THE BILL PROVIDES AN ENABLING POWER FOR THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO INTRODUCE A SUBSEQUENT ORDER IN COUNCIL. SUBJECT T PARLIAMENTARY APPROVAL THIS ORDER WILL GIVE EFFECT TO THE PROVISIONS OF THE UK MEMORANDUM. BUT EVEN THEN HONG KONG BOTOS WILL RETAIN THE STATUS OF BDTC, WHICH WILL NOT BE AFFECTED IN ANY WAY, UNTIL JULY 1, 1997. THEY WILL ALSO BE ELIGIBLE TO RETAINS ANOTHER FORM OF BRITISH NATIONALITY FOR THE REST OF THEI~ LIVES.+
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