XN000022-1996-12-05 — Page 17

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Let me go on from that. Even in those cases - even in those cases where there was dual nationality, I believe that a British Government and a British Consulate would still feel obliged to provide as much assistance as they possibly could, even if they were not able under the Hague Convention and so on to provide "full consular protection". We can't simply walk away from those responsibilities and we will not do so. And if the Honourable lady ever has any evidence to the contrary in years to come, she can come and hang those words around my neck wherever she finds me.

Miss Emily Lau: Mr President, just a very brief follow-up. I want to ask the Governor because earlier Mrs Chow referred to the statement issued by the Foreign Office and said something about "until you are presented with acceptable evidence of dual nationality". If the Chinese authorities should come to the British Consulate in future and show you that list - the famous 50,000 people list - would that be accepted as an acceptable evidence of dual nationality? And also, given the unique situation of Hong Kong, do you not think Britain should do a bit more than what you normally do for other nationals in terms of protecting their safety after 1997, within the confines of international law?

Governor: We have a record of doing more than is formally required of us in dealing with consular cases. There is a Member of this Council who has good reason to know that. There are other people who know that very well. So the answer is that we will do more and do do more, and I am glad we do.

And on the Honourable lady's first point, the Honourable lady, asking a dramatic question, is overlooking the point that I keep on making. The fact that you have a passport which was acquired under the British Nationality Scheme is not relevant to nor is it evidence of dual nationality, So even if a Chinese official came with the list that the Пonourable lady referred to, it would not be evidence of dual nationality. But I do not believe I have no evidence to suppose that Chinese officials have such a list.

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There are Honourable Members here today listening to the suggestions that Chinese officials may have such a list in a sort of poe-faced way, as though that is the sort of thing they do, as though that is the sort of thing they might be considering doing. And some of those Members looking in that poe-faced way are Honourable Members who advise Chinese officials on what should happen in Hong Kong. I hope that they will express some of the anxieties which are represented by this controversy when they next talk to Mainland officials. And I hope, in particular, that they will join me in deploring the remarks made by this anonymous Xinhua official sometime yesterday,

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