XN000022-1993-11-10 — Page 5

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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 10, 1993

ALL

THE

THE

THAT

IT

THE

FOR

THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS REPEATED THE UNDERTAKING MADE BY THE

IF, AGAINST FOREIGN

SIR GEOFFREY HOWE IN 1989 THAT SECRETARY,

1997, THE WORST WERE TO HAPPEN IN HONG KONG AFTER EXPECTATIONS,

OF HONG SPECIAL RESPONSIBILITY OF THE UNITED KINGDOM FOR THE PEOPLE KONG WOULD BE INESCAPABLE.

FURTHER REPRESENTATIONS IN RESPONSE TO MADE BY THE HONG KONG GOVERNMENT AND BY MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL, BRITISH GOVERNMENT HAS ALSO NOW GIVEN A MORE SPECIFIC ASSURANCE, IF THE SITUATION WAS SUCH THAT AN INDIVIDUAL BN(0) WERE EXPELLED,

HIS

IN OR HER POSITION

THE WOULD CONSIDER

LIGHT OF ALL

CIRCUMSTANCES. THESE

HAVE CIRCUMSTANCES WOULD

TO INCLUDE, EXAMPLE, CONSIDERATIONS OF WHETHER THE INDIVIDUAL CONCERNED NATIONAL OF ANOTHER COUNTRY, AND WHETHER HE HAD A RIGHT OUTSIDE HONG KONG. FOR NOT ALL BNOS WILL, AFTER 1997, HAVE THE RIGHT OF ABODE IN HONG KONG, OR THE RIGHT OF ABODE HONG KONG, A LARGE NUMBER OF BNOS OR POTENTIAL BNOS HAVE ABROAD

IT WOULD NOT BE AND ACQUIRE A FOREIGN NATIONALITY. то EXPECT THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT TO PROVIDE ADVANCE GUARANTEES THE FUTURE SETTLEMENT OF THIRD COUNTRY NATIONALS. IN THIS RESPECT, SECOND PART OF THE MOTION IS, I BELIEVE, TOO BROADLY DRAWN.

WAS A OF ABODE NECESSARILY ONLY IN SETTLED

REALISTIC ABOUT

THE

THE

MR PRESIDENT, AS I HAVE SAID, THE ADMINISTRATION ATTACHES SAME IMPORTANCE AS DO MEMBERS OF THIS COUNCIL TO THE FUTURE FREEDOM OF MOVEMENT OF HONG KONG PEOPLE. HOWEVER, I BELIEVE THAT NO USEFUL IN PURPOSE WOULD BE SERVED BY SEEKING THE FURTHER UNDERTAKING SOUGHT

AND RATHER, WE SHOULD BUILD ON, THE FIRST PART OF THE MOTION. PRACTICAL

IN TO, THE ASSURANCES ALREADY PROVIDED

THE

DECLARATION.

ADMINISTRATION, IN CONCLUSION, SUPPORTS SENTIMENTS OF THIS MOTION, BUT NOT ALL OF ITS SPECIFIC PROPOSALS; OFFICIAL MEMBERS INTEND TO ABSTAIN.

EFFECT

THE

GIVE JOINT

THE

THE

PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT FOR ELDERLY

FOLLOWING IS THE SPEECH BY THE SECRETARY FOR HEALTH AND WELFARE, MRS ELIZABETH WONG, IN THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL TONIGHT (WEDNESDAY) ON A MOTION ON A PREFERENTIAL SCHEME FOR SENIOR CITIZENS:

MR PRESIDENT,

GOLD

TO CARD

BE

FOR

CARD

THIS IS A SAMPLE OF THE SENIOR CITIZEN INTRODUCED BY THE SOCIAL WELFARE DEPARTMENT FROM APRIL NEXT YEAR SENIOR CITIZENS AGED 65 AND ABOVE. THE SENIOR CITIZEN GOLD SCHEME (SCGCS) IS A MEANINGFUL AND WORTHWHILE SCHEME AND IT SHOULD HOWEVER, THE SUCCESS OF REAL BENEFITS TO OUR ELDERLY PERSONS. BRING THE SCHEME WILL DEPEND ON THE COLLECTIVE COMMUNITY RESPONSE TO IT.

/SENIOR CITIZEN