XN000022-1990-04-11 — Page 29

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MR MAUDE: THIS FIGURE IS BASED ON PEOPLE'S ASSESSMENT OF MIGHT BE THE TOTAL NUMBER, BUT IT IS VERY

(BLANK TAPE FOR A FEW SECONDS) PEOPLE IN FRANCE WHO HAVE INTERPRETED THE SIGNS COMING IN. BUT I MEAN THIS ISN'T CAPABLE A SCHEME LIKE THIS WHICH AIMS TO GIVE THE RIGHT OF ENTRY OR PASSPORTS, BUT I THINK FOR THE LARGER SCHEME THE RIGHT OF ENTRY, TO EMPLOYEES OF FRENCH FIRMS IN HONG KONG - IT ISN'T CAPABLE OF SPECIFIC CALCULATION. IT IS NOT LIKE OUR SCHEME WHICH SETS

A QUOTA AND THEN HAS A SCHEME OF SELECTION TO DECIDE WHO COMES WITHIN THAT QUOTA. THIS IS A DIFFERENT TYPE OF EXERCISE. IT IS ONE WHICH IS VALUABLE FOR HONG KONG BUT IT ONLY APPLIES TO EMPLOYEES OF FRENCH COMPANIES IN HONG KONG. I DO NOT HAVE A FULL INVENTORY OF HOW MANY EMPLOYEES OF FRENCH FIRMS THERE ARE IN HONG KONG.

JOHN ELLIOTT: WITH RESPECT, MINISTER, I DID NOT SUGGEST IT A RIGID SCHEME, I DID NOT SUGGEST THE FIGURES, I AM MERELY QUOTING YOU YOUR STATEMENT OF YESTERDAY. ARE YOU NOW SAYING THAT IT INCORRECT TO SAY THAT THE FRENCH ARE IMPLEMENTING A SCHEME FOR UP 1500 EMPLOYEES? IS THAT RIGHT OR WRONG?

WAS то

IS

TO

MR MAUDE: IT IS A SCHEME WHICH COULD PROVIDE RIGHT OF ENTRY FOR UP TO ABOUT 1500 PEOPLE. I MEAN THAT IS SIMPLY AN INDICATION

JOHN ELLIOTT: HAVE YOU BEEN TOLD THAT BY THE FRENCH GOVERNMENT?

MR MAUDE: LET ME FINISH. THAT IS AN ESTIMATE OF THE SORT OF NUMBERS OF PEOPLE WHO MIGHT BE ELIGIBLE. THERE IS NO SORT OF GREAT MAGIC OR MYSTERY ABOUT THIS. I MEAN YOU ARE INTERPRETING THE SYNTAX IN AN EXCESSIVELY FASTIDIOUS WAY

NORMAN REES (ITN): CAN I GO BACK TO THE POINT THAT MR ELLIOTT WAS MAKING AND I THINK IT IS SOMETHING THAT IS MYSTIFYING NOT ONLY US BUT A LOT OF OUR DESKS. THE EFFECT OF THE ANNOUNCEMENT THAT YOU MADE YESTERDAY, WHETHER INTENTIONAL OR NON-INTENTIONAL, WAS TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION THAT THERE WAS A GROUNDSWELL OF INTERNATIONAL SUPPORT LINING UP BEHIND THE BRITISH NATIONALITY PACKAGE. WHEN YOU EXAMINE YOUR STATEMENT, THE QUESTION YOU TALK ABOUT: "FRANCE IMPLEMENTING A POLICY"

WE ARE NOT QUITE CLEAR WHETHER YOU MEAN THAT IS FRENCH POLICY OR NOT? SINGAPORE, THE SCHEME YOU HAVE MENTIONED, IS A SCHEME THAT IS ALREADY FUNCTIONING. YOU CONGRATULATED AUSTRALIA ON ITS POLICY BUT THERE IS NO POLICY CHANGE. YOU CONGRATULATED CANADA ON ITS POLICY BUT THERE IS NO POLICY CHANGE. THE USA POLICY WHICH YOU SAID IS THE GLEAM IN THE EYE OF A SINGLE CONGRESSMAN. YOU MENTIONED GERMANY, LUXEMBOURG AND BELGIUM AS COUNTRIES CONSIDERING IMPLEMENTING A SCHEME BUT WITHOUT DETAILS. AND THE CONSUL GENERALS OF ALMOST EVERY OTHER EUROPEAN, OR EEC COUNTRY THAT WAS CONTACTED HERE IN HONG KONG, DID NOT KNOW WHAT YOU WERE TALKING ABOUT. NOW IT MAY WELL BE THAT THERE IS

A HECK OF A LOT GOING ON BEHIND THE BACKS OF THESE CONSUL GENERALS. BUT COULD YOU PLEASE BE MORE SPECIFIC AND TELL US WHETHER YOU HAVE HAD SPECIFIC PLEDGES FROM THESE COUNTRIES OR NOT, OR GIVE US SOME FURTHER INDICATION OF WHERE THESE TALKS, IF THEY ARE TAKING PLACE, ACTUALLY STAND AT THE MOMENT?

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