XN000022-1993-06-10 — Page 4

THURSDAY, JUNE 10, 1993

"WE'VE BEEN PRESSING THE HOME OFFICE IN THE UK I'VE BEEN DOING THAT ON BEHALF OF THE EXECUTIVE COUNCIL AND I AM DELIGHTED THAT THE DECISION WAS ANNOUNCED WHEN A GROUP OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS WENT TO PUT THE SAME POINT TO HIM YESTERDAY.'

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"I'VE SPOKEN TO HOME OFFICE OFFICIALS AND I KNOW THAT THE MINISTER OF STATE AT THE FOREIGN OFFICE, ALASTAIR GOODLAD, HAS DONE So.

"IT'S AN ISSUE ON COMMUNITY ALL HAPPILY SEE WITH THE SCHEME ON A BASIS

WHICH EXCO, LEGCO, THE GOVERNMENT AND THE EYE TO EYE SO I HOPE WE CAN NOW GET AHEAD THAT EVERYONE WILL AGREE.

то

ASKED ABOUT THE PRACTICAL DIFFICULTIES IF EVERYONE RUSHED APPLY FOR THE BNO PASSPORT IN 1997, MR PATTEN SAID: "THAT IS WHY WK STILL BELIEVE AND I HOPE THAT WILL NOW BE ACCEPTED BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL THAT A PROPER, A PHASED SCHEME IS ESSENTIAL BECAUSE WE WOULD BE, I THINK, ALL FEELING EXTREMELY GUILTY IF COME

1997, THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO COULDN'T GET THEIR PASSPORTS."

"SO WE NEED A PHASED SCHEME WITH THE STATUTORY BASIS.

"I AM VERY PLEASED THAT THE HOME OFFICE SAYS THAT NOW PEOPLE WON'T HAVE TO SURRENDER THEIR BDTCS BUT CAN CARRY THEM ALONG WITH THE BNO PASSPORTS. I THINK THAT WILL, PERHAPS, REMOVE SOMB OF THE DIFFICULTIES AND WORRIES THAT PEOPLE HAVE."

ON THE CASE OF THE 7,000 PEOPLE OF THE MINORITY GROUP, THE GOVERNOR SAID: "I THINK THAT THE CASE HAS BEEN PUT NOT ONLY BY THE DELEGATION OF LEGISLATIVE COUNCILLORS BUT ALSO BY ME AND BY OTHERS AND WE WILL GO ON PUTTING THE CASE AND I HOPE THAT WE CAN GET SOME MOVEMENT ON THAT."

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BRITISH NATIONALITY (HK) (SELECTION SCHEME)

( AMENDMENT) ORDER 93 TABLED IN PARLIAMENT

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THE DRAFT BRITISH NATIONALITY (HONG KONG) (SELECTION SCHEME) (AMENDMENT) ORDER 1993, WHICH PROVIDES FOR THE IMPLEMENTATION OF THE SECOND PHASE OF THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SELECTION SCHEME, WAS LAID BEFORE PARLIAMENT TODAY (THURSDAY).

UNDER THE BRITISH NATIONALITY SELECTION SCHEME INTRODUCED ON DECEMBER 1. 1990, UP то 50,000 HONG KONG RESIDENTS AND THEIR DEPENDANTS MAY BE REGISTERED AS BRITISH CITIZENS WITHOUT HAVING то LEAVE THE TERRITORY.

ABOUT 38,000 PLACES WILL HAVE BEEN TAKEN UP BY THE END OF THE FIRST PHASE OF THE SCHEME WHICH CONCLUDES ON JANUARY 1 NEXT YEAR. THE BALANCE OF ABOUT 12,000 PLACES WILL BE AVAILABLE FOR ALLOCATION IN THE SECOND PHASE.

THE ORDER SETS OUT A REVISED SELECTION METHOD AMONG OTHER CHANGES FOR THE SECOND PHASE RUNNING FROM JANUARY 3, 1994 TO JUNE 30, 1997.

/ANNOUNCING THIS