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Mr Rifkind: I am very concerned to hear of the particular incidents in Indonesia that the questioner refers to. I am not familiar with the details of these incidents. So far as British passport holders are concerned, who live in Hong Kong, in so far as we have a consular obligation to any person with a British passport who may be in another country in the world, then if that person has a problem and a difficulty that justifies consular protection, then it is the responsibility of our embassies to give that consular protection as they would to a British citizen from the United Kingdom and so I would certainly want to investigate the problem that you have referred to me and if there has been a mistake on this occasion, then we would wish to ensure that that does not happen again. Many people in Hong Kong are and will be entitled in future to If they are entitled to that consular protection in countries around the world.

protection then we must ensure that they receive it and we will take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that that is what happens.

Mrs Selina Chow (in Chinese): Mr Foreign Secretary, can you tell us categorically that the UK Government and the Hong Kong Government will provide guidelines for procedures so as to implement what you have undertaken?

Mr Rifkind: I shall be very happy to examine in a very positive way whether it would be helpful to have guidelines issued to our embassies and consulates in various countries around the world to ensure that whenever there is a problem being experienced by someone from Hong Kong who is entitled to British Consular protection, to ensure that they receive that protection. Yes, if there is a problem at the moment we need to resolve that problem and I will initiate steps to ensure that these problems do not occur in future.

Mrs Selina Chow (in Chinese): Does that apply to those before and after 1997?

Mr Rifkind: Applied either before or after to anyone who by virtue of their passport is entitled to consular protection in countries around the world, both before and after 1997.

Ms Christine Loh: Foreign Secretary, there is a particular problem with the ethnic minorities, as you well know. We are told by that community that there are perhaps no more than three to four thousand Eurasians and people mainly from the Indian sub- continent who will be stateless. It will be difficult, and indeed they do not want to apply for Chinese citizenship as such. In view of the fact that this number is really now a very small number, is there really nothing that the British Government is going to do? You did say just now, Sir, that there are ethical and moral grounds for Britain to continue to take an interest in Hong Kong. I mean surely, like with the question from Ms Emily Lau, the honourable way is to ensure that these people do not have to in any way doubt that they have a nationality after 1997?

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