WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1990
A FURTHER 500 PLACES WILL BE RESERVED FOR KEY ENTREPRENEURS WHO HAVE INVESTED HEAVILY IN HONG KONG, WHO EMPLOY LARGE NUMBERS OF PEOPLE AND WHOSE DEPARTURE FROM HONG KONG WOULD SERIOUSLY UNDERMINE CONFIDENCE. THEY WILL BE INVITED TO APPLY, OR MAY BE IDENTIFIED FROM APPLICATIONS MADE UNDER THE GENERAL ALLOCATION SECTION.
THE SCHEME WILL BE ADMINISTERED IN HONG KONG BY THE IMMIGRATION DEPARTMENT. RECOMMENDATIONS ON INDIVIDUAL APPLICATIONS WILL BE PASSED TO THE GOVERNOR, BEFORE BEING SUBMITTED TO THE HOME SECRETARY IN LONDON. A STEERING GROUP, CHAIRED BY THE CHIEF SECRETARY AND WHOSE MEMBERS WILL INCLUDE INDEPENDENT REPRESENTATIVES OF THE COMMUNITY AND THE COMMISSIONER OF THE INDEPENDENT COMMISSION AGAINST CORRUPTION, WILL ASSIST THE GOVERNOR IN IMPLEMENTING AND SUPERVISING THE OPERATION OF THE SCHEME.
THE SCHEME WILL BE OPEN TO APPLICATION BY ALL HONG KONG BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENS, BRITISH NATIONALS (OVERSEAS), BRITISH OVERSEAS CITIZENS, BRITISH PROTECTED PERSONS, BRITISH SUBJECTS WITHOUT CONDITIONS ON THEIR STAY IN HONG KONG, AND OTHERS, INCLUDING HOLDERS OF HONG KONG CERTIFICATES OF IDENTITY, WHO HAVE APPLIED FOR BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORIES CITIZENSHIP BEFORE THE BILL IS PASSED.
HEADS OF HOUSEHOLD WHO APPLY MUST NORMALLY BE RESIDENT IN HONG KONG. THEIR SPOUSES AND CHILDREN UNDER 18 YEARS OF AGE MAY APPLY AT THE SAME TIME. OR IF THEY WISH, THEY MAY APPLY AT ANY TIME BEFORE JUNE 1997.
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A FINAL WORD ON PARLIAMENTARY PROCEDURE. OUR UNDERSTANDING IS THAT THE BILL WILL COME UP FOR ITS SECOND READING ON 19 APRIL AND WILL THEN GO TO DISCUSSION IN COMMITTEE BEFORE BEING VOTED ON IN THE HOUSE OF COMMONS. IT MUST THEN BE DEBATED IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS. WE UNDERSTAND THAT MINISTERS INTEND THAT THE BILL WILL RECEIVE THE ROYAL ASSENT BEFORE THE SUMMER RECESS IN JULY.
/THE FOLLOWING