WEDNESDAY, APRIL 8, 1987
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AT PRESENT, UNDER THE REGISTRATION OF PERSONS ORDINANCE, A HONG KONG IDENTITY CARD IS ONLY A PROOF OF IDENTITY.
+SUBJECT TO THE ENACTMENT OF THIS BILL, THE NEW IDENTITY CARD TO BE ISSUED FROM JULY 1 THIS YEAR WILL IN ADDITION REFLECT THE IMMIGRATION STATUS OF THE HOLDER, THAT IS WHETHER OR NOT HE HAS THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG,+
+A PERMANENT IDENTITY CARD STATING THE HOLDER'S RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG WILL BE ISSUED TO PERSONS WHO HAVE THAT RIGHT UNDER THE IMMIGRATION ORDINANCE,+ HE SAID.
+THOSE WHO DO NOT HAVE THAT RIGHT WILL BE ISSUED WITH A DIFFERENT FORM OF IDENTITY CARD WHICH WILL NOT INCLUDE A STATEMENT THAT THE HOLDER HAS THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG.
+TO ENSURE A SMOOTH TRANSITION, HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT AND THE GOVERNMENT OF THE PEOPLE'S REPUBLIC OF CHINA HAVE AGREED THAT THE NEW FORMS OF IDENTITY CARD ISSUED BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT WILL CONTINUE TO BE USED AFTER JUNE 30, 1997 UNTIL SUCH TIME AS THEY ARE REPLACED BY IDENTITY CARDS ISSUED BY THE HONG KONG SPECIAL ADMINISTRATIVE REGION GOVERNMENT,+ MR JE AFFRESON SAID.
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THEREFORE IN CONTRAST TO THE IDENTITY CARDS CURRENTLY IN USE WHICH HAD A FIXED PERIOD OF VALIDITY, THE NEW CARDS TO BE ISSUED FROM JULY 1 THIS YEAR WOULD NOT SPECIFY THE DATES ON WHICH THEY MUST BE RENEWED, HE ADDED.
ON THE PROCEDURE OF ISSUING THE NEW IDENTITY CARD, HE SAID IT WOULD TAKE THE FORM OF A REPLACEMENT EXERCISE TO BE COMPLETED IN FOUR-AND-A-HALF YEARS.
+ IT WILL INVOLVE ARRANGEMENTS SIMILAR TO THOSE ADOPTED IN THE LAST RE-ISSUE EXERCISE. IDENTITY CARD HOLDERS WILL BE ASKED TO COME FORWARD IN SPECIFIC GROUPS BY AGE AND SEX TO HAVE THEIR CARDS REPLACED AND EXISTING CARDS WILL BE DECLARED INVALID PROGRESSIVELY.+
+THOSE WHO ARE APPLYING FOR A BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORT OR A CERTIFICATE OF IDENTITY BUT WHO HAVE NOT YET OBTAINED A PERMANENT IDENTITY CARD WILL NEED ONE IN ORDER TO SUPPORT THE RIGHT OF ABODE ENDORSEMENT IN THEIR TRAVEL DOCUMENTS,+ HE POINTED OUT.
SO THE BILL SPECIFICALLY PROVIDES FOR THE ISSUE OF PERMANENT IDENTITY CARDS TO APPLICANTS FOR THESE TWO TRAVEL DOCUMENTS. AND THESE PEOPLE WOULD GET THEIR NEW IDENTITY CARDS AHEAD OF THEIR SCHEDULED TURN IN THE REPLACEMENT PROGRAMME, HE SAID.
/+TO MINIMISE