XN000022-1990-04-11 — Page 24

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KONG LAI KWAN (COMMERCIAL RADIO): I WOULD LIKE TO ASK THE QUESTION, IN CANTONESE, CAN YOU PLEASE

'MR MINISTER, YESTERDAY YOU MET SOME CIVIL SERVANTS AND THEY WANTED MORE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SEATS TO BE INCREASED SO THAT THEY WOULD BE INCLUDED. THE BASIC LAW STIPULATES THAT THERE IS ALREADY A BASELINE ON THE NUMBER OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL SEATS AFTER 1997. DOES THAT MEAN THAT YOU IMPLY THAT THE BASIC LAW CAN BE AMENDED AT SOME LATER STAGE?'

MR MAUDE: WELL IT IS CERTAINLY THE CASE THAT THE BASIC LAW CAN BE AMENDED AT A LATER STAGE, AND WE HAVE SAID THAT AFTER THE 1991 ELECTIONS IT WOULD BE VERY MUCH OPEN FOR US TO GO BACK TO THE CHINESE TO URGE THAT BECAUSE THE START OF DEMOCRACY WHICH IS EMBODIED IN THE 1991 ARRANGEMENTS HAS BEEN SHOWN TO BE A SUCCESS, AS I AM SURE IT WILL DO, THEREFORE IT WOULD BE RIGHT TO SPEED UP THE PROCESS OF DEMOCRATISATION FURTHER.

LEO LAW (ORIENTAL DAILY NEWS): IF I AM CORRECT, THE FOREIGN SECRETARY INDICATED LAST DECEMBER THAT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT WOULD DEVISE A SCHEME FOR THE BRITISH COMPANIES IN HONG KONG SO THAT, ACCORDING TO THAT SCHEME, THEY WOULD BE ABLE TO SEND PEOPLE TO THE UK FOR TRAINING OR SECONDMENT, AND THAT AFTER A RELATIVELY SHORT PERIOD OF TIME THEY WOULD OBTAIN A BRITISH PASSPORT. BUT I CAN'T FIND THIS SCHEME IN THE EXPLANATION BOOK OF THE BILL. SO WHAT IS THE GOVERNMENT GOING TO DO?

MR MAUDE: YES, YOU CAN'T FIND IT BECAUSE IT ISN'T IN THE EXPLANATORY NOTES ABOUT THE BILL, NOR IS IT IN THE BILL, BUT WE ARE STILL LOOKING AT THE POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUCING SUCH A SCHEME IN ANY EVENT.

LEO LAW: YOU MEAN THAT IN ADDITION то THE BILL OR THE EXPLANATION FOR THE QUOTAS, THERE MAY BE ANOTHER SCHEME WHICH ALLOWS THE BRITISH COMPANIES HERE TO SEND THEIR PEOPLE TO SEND THEIR TO THE UK TO OBTAIN PASSPORTS?

PEOPLE

SCHEME

MR MAUDE: WELL THE BILL, AS IT IS, STANDS ON ITS OWN, A FOR 50.000 HEADS OF FAMILY AND THE EXPLANATORY MEMORANDUM EXPLAINS HOW THE SCHEME WILL WORK. WHAT WE ARE NOW LOOKING AT IS TO SEE WHETHER THERE IS A POSSIBILITY OF INTRODUCING THE SORT OF SCHEME, WHICH WOULD BE A VERY LIMITED SCHEME, THE SORT OF SCHEME WHICH DOUGLAS HURD MENTIONED IN HIS STATEMENT BACK IN DECEMBER.

LEO LAW: SO WHAT QUOTA WILL YOU BE OFFERING?

POSSIBILITIES AT

I

THE WOULD

MR MAUDE: WELL WE ARE LOOKING AT THE MOMENT, AND YOU WON'T DRAW ME OUT ON IT ANY FURTHER. BUT STRESS THAT IT WOULD BE A VERY LIMITED SCHEME.

SALLY BLYTH (RTHK): ON TOP OF THE 50,000?

IS

AT A

MR MAUDE: WELL AS I SAY THE BILL WITH ITS 50,000 PASSPORTS ON ITS OWN AND COMPLETE IN ITSELF, SO WE ARE LOOKING SCHEME SEPARATELY FROM THAT.

STANDING

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