XN000022-1993-03-10 — Page 16

WEDNESDAY, MARCH 10, 1993

MOTION DEBATE ON NATIONALITY OF ETHNIC MINORITIES

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THE FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY FOR SECURITY, MR ALISTAIR ASPREY, WHEN WINDING UP THE MOTION DEBATE ON THE REPORT OF THE NATIONALITY SUB-COMMITTEE TODAY (WEDNESDAY) IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL.

MR PRESIDENT,

THE ADMINISTRATION IS GRATEFUL TO MISS EMILY LAU AND THE SUB- COMMITTEE ON NATIONALITY FOR THEIR REPORT, AND APPRECIATES THEIR EFFORTS ON BEHALF OF THE ETHNIC MINORITIES. THIS SUBJECT WAS DEBATED IN THIS COUNCIL LAST NOVEMBER. BUT THE SUB-COMMITTEE HAS SUCCEEDED IN CLARIFYING AND FOCUSSING THE ISSUE. IT CONCENTRATES, RIGHTLY IN MY VIEW, ON THE ESTIMATED 7,000 HONG KONG PERMANENT RESIDENTS WHO ARE NOT CHINESE, BUT WHO HAVE RIGHT OF ABODE ONLY IN HONG KONG. THE GREAT MAJORITY OF THESE PEOPLE ARE OF INDIAN ORIGIN, HOLDING BDTC OR BN (0) PASSPORTS.

I AGREE WITH THE POINT MADE IN THE REPORT THAT THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME DOES NOT PROVIDE A SOLUTION WHICH WOULD MEET THE CONCERNS OF ALL MEMBERS OF THE ETHNIC MINORITIES. THEIR POSITION WAS CONSIDERED WHEN THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME WAS INTRODUCED. AS THE REPORT ACKNOWLEDGES, THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME IS INTENDED FOR A DIFFERENT PURPOSE AND NOT FOR A SPECIFIC MINORITY GROUP. IT WOULD NOT BE POSSIBLE TO ACCOMMODATE THE 7,000 MEMBERS OF THE ETHNIC MINORITIES, COMPRISING PERHAPS 2,000 TO 2,500 FAMILIES, WITHIN THE SECOND TRANCHE OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME, WITHOUT GREATLY DISTORTING THE ALLOCATION AND CHANGING THE OBJECTIVES OF THE SCHEME.

THE ADMINISTRATION HAS PASSED TO THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT THE VIEWS THEY EXPRESSED ON THIS ISSUE LAST NOVEMBER. WE HAVE ALSO BEEN REPORTING THE DELIBERATIONS OF THE NATIONALITY SUB-COMMITTEE. AND I AM AWARE THAT THE CHAIRMAN OF THE SUB-COMMITTEE AND OTHER MEMBERS DISCUSSED THE SUBJECT WITH THE HOME OFFICE MINISTER, MR WARDLE, AT THE HOME OFFICE IN JANUARY THIS YEAR.

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS AGAIN CONSIDERED THE QUESTION OF THE ETHNIC MINORITIES IN HONG KONG, AND HAS ASKED ME TO USE THIS OPPORTUNITY TO PASS ON MORE FORMALLY THEIR RESPONSE TO THE NOVEMBER DEBATE. FIRST, THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS ASKED ME TO STRESS AGAIN THAT THERE CAN BE NO QUESTION OF INCREASING THE SCALE OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SCHEME BEYOND THE AGREED TOTAL OF 50,000 PRINCIPAL BENEFICIARIES, IN ORDER TO ACCOMMODATE THE ETHNIC MINORITIES.

/SECONDLY, THE