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Successful applicants under British Nationality Selection
Following is a question by Dr the Hon Leong Che-hung and a reply by the acting Secretary for Security, Mr Ken Woodhouse, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):
Question:
In the light of the recent media report that some persons who have been successful with their applications for a British Passport under the British Nationality Selection Scheme have given up their British passports and instead applied for the British National (Overseas) passports, will the Administration inform this Council:
(a)
of the actual number of such persons;
(b)
of the actual number of those who have given up their certificates of registration as a British Citizen; and
(c)
whether the Government will ensure that the quota of the Scheme thus released will be reallocated to those still on the waiting list until the total quota of 50,000 families have been exhausted?
Reply:
Mr President,
As regards the first part of the question, as the British passports issued to successful applicants under the British Nationality Selection Scheme are the same as those issued to all other British citizens, we cannot distinguish scheme beneficiaries from other British citizens who give up their British citizen passport. Therefore, we do not have statistics on the number of beneficiaries who have given up their British passports. However, we believe the number to be low.
As regards the second part of the question, so far, six successful applicants under the British Nationality Selection Scheme have renounced British citizenship. However, the places taken up by them cannot be re-allocated to other applicants, because, under the law, these persons are entitled to revoke their renunciation and to resume their British citizenship, provided they apply before 1997.
As regards the third part of the question, subject to the caveat concerning the small number of renunciations I have just mentioned, every step possible will be taken to ensure that all 50,000 places available under the scheme are taken up.
End/Wednesday, June 14, 1995