XN000022-1982-12-22 — Page 4

WEDNESDAY, DECEMBER 22, 1982

+ CAN ONLY SAY THAT HAD WE FAILED TO PERSUADE HMG TO OUR POINT OF VIEW, BDTC PASSPORTS ISSUED TO HONG KONG'S BRITISH SUBJECTS WOULD NOT HAVE CONTAINED A CLEAR DESCRIPTION OF NATIONALITY.+

EARLIER IN HIS SPEECH, MR LOBO GAVE A FULL ACCOUNT OF THE ROLE PLAYED BY UMELCO IN TRYING TO SAFEGUARD THE INTERESTS OF HONG KONG'S BRITISH SUBJECTS UNDER THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT.

HE MADE A CHRONOLOGICAL REVIEW OF DEVELOPMENTS FROM THE PUBLICATION OF THE GREEN PAPER ON BRITISH NATIONALITY IN APRIL 1977 TO THE PASSAGE OF THE BILL INTO LAW IN OCTOBER 1981.

DURING THE FOUR-AND-A-HALF-YEAR PERIOD, HE NOTED, LENGTHY DISCUSSIONS ON HONG KONG'S POSITION WERE HELD BETWEEN UMELCO MEMBERS AND SENIOR BRITISH GOVERNMENT OFFICIALS, AS WELL AS WITH A NUMBER OF INFLUENTIAL MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT.

THESE MEETINGS TOOK PLACE IN BOTH HONG KONG AND LONDON.

ALTHOUGH SOME CONCESSIONARY AMENDMENTS WERE EVENTUALLY MADE TO THE BILL IN RESPONSE TO HONG KONG'S STRENUOUS REPRESENTATIONS, HE SAID, UMELCO REMAINED UNCONVINCED OF THE NEED FOR CHANGES IN CITIZENSHIP AND CONCERNED ABOUT THE LACK OF A DEFINITION AS REGARDS THE NATIONALITY OF HONG KONG'S BRITISH SUBJECTS.

AND THE NEW DESCRIPTION FOR HONG KONG PASSPORT HOLDERS WAS THE RESULT OF FURTHER REPRESENTATIONS BY UMELCO.

MR LOBO ALSO COMMENTED ON THE RECENT AMENDMENT TO THE BRITISH NATIONALITY ACT WHICH AFFORDED FALKLAND ISLANDERS THE RIGHT TO BRITISH CITIZENSHIP.

+THERE IS NO QUESTION THE MEASURE IS DISCRIMINATORY AGAINST OTHER DEPENDENT TERRITORIES OF WHICH HONG KONG IS MUCH THE BIGGEST, HE SAID.

+SIR, YOUR PREDECESSOR, LORD MACLEHOSE SPOKE ON THE FALKLANDS BILL IN THE HOUSE OF LORDS AND I THINK ACCURATELY REFLECTED OUR VIEWS.+

MR PETER C. WONG AND MR JOHN SWAINE ALSO SPOKE ON THE BILLS.

MR WONG, CONVENER OF THE LEGISLATION SCRUTINY GROUP OF UNOFFICIALS WHICH STUDIED THE BILLS, SAID HIS GROUP WAS BY AND LARGE SATISFIED WITH THEIR LEGAL AND DRAFTING ASPECTS.

HE SAID MOST OF THE PROPOSED AMENDMENTS WERE CONSEQUENTIAL, INVOLVING MAINLY CHANGES IN NOMENCLATURE.

+HOWEVER,+ HE SAID, THE OPPORTUNITY WAS TAKEN TO TIGHTEN THE DEFINITION OF HONG KONG BELONGER AND TO IMPOSE IMMIGRATION CONTROLS ON NON-HONG KONG BELONGERS BORN AFTER DECEMBER 31, 1982 INCLUDING CHILDREN BORN TO VIETNAMESE REFUGEES.

/+THESE ARE