XN000022-1997-01-23 — Page 2

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Statement by the Governor to the Legislative Council

Following is the statement by the Governor, the Rt Hon Christopher Patten, to the Legislative Council today (Thursday):

As Honourable Members may know, I visited London from 9-15 January. I wanted to visit Britain well in advance of the General Election, which must be held before the middle of May this year.

During my visit, I delivered the Annual NatWest Lecture, and saw a large number of Ministers and Parliamentarians.

In particular, I had meetings with the Prime Minister, the Foreign Secretary and the Home Secretary, as well as with the Minister of State for Hong Kong. I discussed with Ministers the latest developments concerning the transition, including China's extremely misguided decision to appoint a body to replace this properly elected legislature. I also pressed with Ministers once more the deserving claims of the non- Chinese ethnic minorities to full British citizenship. Most of my meeting with the Home Secretary was devoted to this subject, but it formed an important part of my meeting with the Prime Minister and my meeting with the Foreign Secretary as well.

I also had meetings with Tony Blair, John Prescott, and Robin Cook, as well as Paddy Ashdown. I raised the issue of the ethnic minorities with them too. As Honourable Members may know, the Labour Party has now joined the Liberal Democrats in supporting full British citizenship for the ethnic minorities. Robin Cook, the Shadow Foreign Secretary, made clear in the debate in the House of Commons in November that his party would support legislation to grant them citizenship. This pledge was reaffirmed in my meeting with Labour Party leaders, and by John Prescott in Hong Kong this week. I also raised the ethnic minorities in meetings with the Foreign Affairs Select Committee, and with the British Hong Kong Parliamentary group. Both were extremely supportive.

As for the British Government's position, while I very much welcomed the Prime Minister's strengthened reassurance to the ethnic minorities which he gave during his visit in March, I am sorry that the Government has still not yet accepted that this unique group of people merit full British passports. I will continue to press their strong case as hard as I can over the remaining months.