16
TUESDAY, JANUARY 16, 1990
MR HURD:
MY UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THEY WOULD NOT HAVE DUAL- NATIONALITY AND THAT THEY THEREFORE WOULD BE ENTITLED ΤΟ CONSULAR PROTECTION, THAT IS A MATTER OF CHINESE LAW, BUT I BELIEVE THAT WAS I'VE SAID IS RIGHT.
ON THE FIRST POINT. I REGARD THAT AS A MATTER FOR THE INSTITUTIONS OF HONG KONG. IT'S BEING DISCUSSED. OUR CONCERN HAS BEEN THAT THERE SHOULD BE A BILL OF RIGHTS, I THINK THAT THAT'S RIGHT, AND THAT THE DRAFT BASIC LAW SHOULD INCLUDE PROTECTION FOR THE TWO RELEVANT UNITED NATIONS COVENANTS. ARTICLE 39 DOES DO SO. HOW THAT IS REFLECTED. IT'S NOT PARALLEL TO THE QUESTION OF CONSTITUTIONAL DEVELOPMENT. IT DOES SO, I MEAN IT IS THERE IN THE DRAFT BASIC LAW, AND HOW THAT 15 REFLECTED IN THE BILL OF RIGHTS AND IN THE ARRANGEMENTS BETWEEN NOW AND 1997.
A MATTER FOR HONG
ΤΟ KONG
DECIDE.
LS
KEVIN LAU: AND NOT, REALLY, BECAUSE ENTRENCHMENT OF THE BILL IS A CONSTITUTIONAL MATTER, AN AMENDMENT OF THE LETTERS PATENT MUST BE DONE BY THE FOREIGN OFFICE, BY THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. IT'S NOT FOR THE HONG KONG INSTITUTION TO DO IT.
KONG WILL
HERE,
THAT
MR HURD: WELL, IF THE RESULT OF THE DISCUSSIONS IN HONG IS THAT WE ARE REQUESTED TO DO THAT. WELL THEN OF COURSE WE CONSIDER THAT. BUT THAT IS PART OF THE DISCUSSION TAKING PLACE AS TO WHETHER WE ARE ASKED TO DO THAT. OUR CONCERN IS, FIRSTLY. THERE SHOULD BE A BILL OF RIGHTS THAT'S THE GENERAL IDEA WHICH WE'VE PUT FORWARD AND SECONDLY. THAT THE DRAFT BASIC LAW SHOULD CONTINUE TO GIVE PROTECTION TO INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE TWO UN COVENANTS. IF WE'RE ASKED TO ALTER THE LETTERS PATENT. WE WILL CONSIDER THAT. THAT HASN'T YET HAPPENED.
J
JULIE MAPLESTON (ATV): 1 APPRECIATE THAT A DECISION ON THE POLITICAL REFORMS IN HONG KONG IS SOME WEEKS OFF, BUT CAN YOU INDICATE WHAT IS THE MINIMUM NUMBER OF SEATS THAT WOULD BE ENOUGH TO PREVENT AN EROSION OF CONFIDENCE IN HONG KONG'S POLITICAL SYSTEM?
MR HURD: NOW THAT IS A BRAVE EFFORT. BUT THE ANSWER 15: THIS AFTERNOON.
NOT
THE
AND
EDDIE YUEN (WEN WEJ POL: BACK TO THE RIGHT OF ABODE QUESTION. WOULD YOU SAY THAT GIVING A CONS | DERABLE NUMBER OF CIVIL SERVANTS FULL CITIZENSHIP OF THE UK WOULD BE BENEFICIAL TO THE PROSPERITY STABILITY OF HONG KONG AFTER 1997?
―
MR HURD: VES. I THINK IT WOULD ENABLE SUCH PEOPLE GIVE THEM CONFIDENCE TO REMAIN HERE AND CONTINUE TO DO THE KEY JOBS WHICH THEY AT PRESENT HOLD. THAT IS THE PURPOSE OF THE PACKAGE AND IT APPLIES WITHIN THE NUMBERS THAT YOU KNOW OF. TO THE PUBLIC SERVICES AS WELL AS TO THE PRIVATE SECTOR.
TIME?
EDDIE VUEN: A FOLLOW UP QUESTION: WHAT IF THEY LEAVE ALL AT A
/MR HURD: