10
Mr Rifkind: The advice that I have received on this subject is very clear that the people to whom you refer will have a right of abode in Hong Kong after 1997. That is what the advice says and I at the moment have no reason to doubt that. But can I add to that and say that if, after 1997, there developed evidence which suggested that that advice was inaccurate or wrong, then clearly we would want to consider sympathetically and constructively any approach from such a person. We recognise that the concept of statelessness, if that indeed was the case, without a right of abode in Hong Kong, would be a very serious problem. My advice at the moment is that that should not be a problem. If that advice turned out to be inaccurate, then I repeat, we would want to look very sympathetically at anyone in such a situation to ensure that the problem was resolved in a humane and acceptable way.
Ms Christine Loh: Foreign Secretary, you are a distinguished lawyer. I'm sure you know that there is a vast world of difference between having the right of abode somewhere and full citizenship. So do you acknowledge that the ethnic minorities will not have full citizenship and if not, why do you want to make them wait until after 1997 to see if there is a problem in order to solve really what is now à very minor problem in human terms?
Mr Rifkind: Their position with regard to British citizenship is the same as many other people in Hong Kong. You have drawn to my attention, indeed I was already aware, that there are concerns that despite their presence and residence in Hong Kong, it is suggested by some people that they may not have a right of abode. I can only respond to that on the basis of the best legal advice, the best professional advice that we have received and that suggests that these fears are ill conceived, that they are not correct. And if that is the case, then their position is no different in substance to that of very many other people. But I wanted to acknowledge that sometimes even the best of advice turns out not to be as soundly based as one would like and therefore I don't want to rest purely on the advice and that is why I am saying, if the advice turned out to be incorrect, then I am saying right now that such persons need not fear that their position would be hopeless. We have said we would sympathetically consider approaches by such persons if these circumstances arose. Now that seems to me an entirely humane and reasonable position that should reassure people that whatever happens their position is not one which will be without serious hope as regards their security.
Dr Leong Che-hung: Foreign Secretary, what is Britain's position on the War Widows? As you probably realised when you came in, you received a letter from Mr Edwards who has been fighting for this for quite some time.