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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 25, 1992.
GOVERNOR TO BRIEF LEGCO ON OVERSEAS VISITS
*
THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY) PASSED A MOTION ΤΟ SUSPEND ITS STANDING ORDERS TO ENABLE THE GOVERNOR TO BRIEF MEMBERS ABOUT HIS OVERSEAS VISITS AT A SITTING ON TUESDAY (DECEMBER 1).
D
MOVING THE MOTION TO SUSPEND STANDING ORDERS 7 11 AND 12, THE FINANCIAL SECRETARY, THE HON HAMISH MACLEOD, SAID THE GOVERNOR, AS PRESIDENT OF THE COUNCIL, WOULD LIKE TO MEET MEMBERS SOON AFTER HIS RETURN FROM HIS CURRENT OVERSEAS VISITS TO BRIEF THEM ABOUT HIS VISITS AND TO ANSWER MEMBERS' QUESTIONS.
BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) PASSPORT GAINS INTERNATIONAL RECOGNITION
NATIONAL
THE INTRODUCTION OF BRITISH
(OVERSEAS) PASSPORTS SINCE 1987 HAS GONE SMOOTHLY AND NO STATE HAS RECOGNITION OF THE PASSPORTS.
(BN (0)) WITHHELD
THIS WAS STATED BY THE ACTING SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR STRACHAN, WHEN REPLYING TO A QUESTION BY DR THE HON LEONG CHE-HUNG THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TODAY (WEDNESDAY).
IAN IN
"IN 1987 THE UK CARRIED OUT AN EXTENSIVE BRIEFING EXERCISE IN ANTICIPATION OF THE INTRODUCTION OF THE NEW BN (0) STATUS TO EXPLAIN IT TO OTHER COUNTRIES.
"AT THAT TIME, NO COUNTRIES BN (0) PASSPORTS," MR STRACHAN SAID.
INDICATED RELUCTANCE
TO ACCEPT
MR STRACHAN ALSO SAID SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THIS YEAR, BRITISH DEPENDENT TERRITORY CITIZEN (BDTC) AND BRITISH NATIONAL (OVERSEAS) (BN(0)) PASSPORT HOLDERS HAD NOT BEEN SUBJECT TO MORE STRINGENT IMMIGRATION CLEARANCE REQUIREMENTS THAN BEFORE.
HE ALSO SAID THE UK GOVERNMENT HAD NOT ISSUED ANY KIND OF NOTIFICATION TO OTHER EUROPEAN COMMUNITY COUNTRIES, REMINDING THEM TO PAY SPECIAL ATTENTION TO HOLDERS OF BRITISH PASSPORTS ISSUED IN HONG KONG BECAUSE THE UK WOULD HAND OVER HONG KONG TO CHINA IN 1997.
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