XN000022-1989-07-03 — Page 2

MONDAY, JULY 3, 1989

BRITAIN TO ACT IN TWO AREAS ON NATIONALITY, ABODE: SIR GEOFFREY

+

ON THE QUESTION Of BRITAIN

TAKE ACTION IN TWO AREAS WILL NATIONALITY AND RIGHT OF ABODE WHICH HAS BEEN A MATTER OF MUCH CONCI

OF STATE FOR FOREIGN AUT SECRETARY THE PEOPLE, KONG TO HONG COMMONWEALTH AFFAIRS, SIR GEOFFREY HOWE, SAID TODAY (MONDAY).

1

SIR DA GOVERNOR. THE SPEAKING AT A LUNCHEON HOSTED BY WILSON, THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SAID HIS GOVERNMENT UNDERSTOOD THE DEP";| OF ANXIETY OF PEOPLE IN HONG KONG ON THIS MATTER AS IT WAS THEIR LIVE AND LIVELIHOOD THAT WERE AT STAKE.

"1

I

ALL WOLI

IN

HONG

11

RIGUT

1

KNOW THE ARGUMENT THAT AN INSURANCE POLICY FOR UNDERPIN THE CONFIDENCE OF INDIVIDUALS WHO WISH TO REMAIN KONG. AND I RECOGNISE TOO THAT AT THE MOMENT, COMPARATIVELY FEW KONG PEOPLE THINK THAT THEY WOULD IN PRACTICE WISH TO TAKE UP A OF ABODE IN BRITAIN, SIR GEOFFREY SAID.

|

TO

WAY THAT A "BUT THE PLAIN FACT IS THAT THERE IS SIMPLY NO BRITISH GOVERNMENT COULD GRANT TO SEVERAL MILLION PEOPLE THE RIGHT COME AND LIVE IN BRITAIN," HE ADDED.

THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SAID HE WAS DISMAYED THAT HAD SUGGESTED THAT THIS WAS A MATTER OF RACE.

SOME PEOPLE

"IT IS NOTHING OF THE SORT. IT IS A PRACTICAL PROBLEM, ENORMOUS SCALE," HE SAID.

ON AN

OR TO

IF RIGHT OF ABODE WERE EXTENDED TO 3.3 MILLION BDTC'S. ALL 5.7 MILLION HONG KONG PEOPLE, IT WOULD NEVER BE KNOWN HOW MANY OF MATTER OF RIGHT, THOSE MIGHT PRESENT THEMSELVES FOR SETTLEMENT AS A

OVER THE COMING

SIR DECADES, NOT JUST IN THE NEXT EIGHT YEARS BUT GEOFFREY POINTED OUT.

J

rt

"IT WOULD BE AN INDEFINITE AND OPEN-ENDED COMMITMENT THAT WOULD HOUSING, EMPLOYMENT, TEST OUR CAPABILITY IN ALL KINDS OF AREAS

THAT TRANSPORT, INNER CITY SERVICES ON A SCALE AND IN A WAY

HE SAID. EXCEEDED ANY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCE,

7

FAR

THE FOREIGN SECRETARY SAID HE BELIEVED THAT THERE WAS NO THAT THE BRITISH PARLIAMENT COULD BE PERSUADED TO SUPPORT A SCHEME THIS SCALE AND THAT THIS WAS A VIEW SHARED BY THE GREAT MEMBERS OF PARLIAMENT ON BOTH SIDES OF THE HOUSE.

WAY

ON MAJORITY OF

INSURANCE POLICY.

POLICY ON

"THERE IS NO MORE BINDING CONTRACT THAN AN THERE WOULD BE NO MORE CRUEL DECEPTION THAN AN INSURANCE WHICH WE COULD NOT DELIVER," SIR GEOFFREY SAID.

"BUT THAT CERTAINLY DOES NOT MEAN THAT WE ARE WASHING OUR HANDS OF THIS PROBLEM. WE INTEND TO TAKE ACTION IN TWO AREAS,

**FIRSTLY,

I HAVE BEEN LOOKING

URGENTLY.

HE SAID.

THE WITH

PRIME COLLEAGUES AT WHAT

MINISTER, THE HOME SECRETARY AND OTHER CABINET CHANGES CAN BE MADE TO OUR IMMIGRATION ARRANGEMENTS.

/"FOR THE