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(b)

(c)

- 21

Once 50,000 principal applicants have been registered, there is no legal provision for the registration of any other principal applicants. There is thus no question of depriving BNSS beneficiaries of their British citizenship so that the places could be reallocated. Indeed there is no such legal power to do so.

The Hong Kong Government's long standing position is that British citizenship should be granted to all Hong Kong British Dependent Territories Citizens (HKBDTCs), regardless of whether they take any action to renounce their Chinese nationality. We will continue to put our position to the British Government, as effectively as we can and whenever the opportunity arises. The British Government has no plan to extend the British Nationality Selection Scheme in any way. As Honourable Members are aware, nor does the British Government accept the case for granting British citizenship to all HKBDTCs.

No signs of speculation in the secondary market of HOS flats

Following is a question by the Hon Frederick Fung and a reply by the Secretary for Housing, Mr Dominic Wong, in the Legislative Council today (Wednesday):

Question:

Recently there are indications that property speculation has spread to the secondary market of Home Ownership Scheme (HOS) flats. In this connection, will the Government inform this Council of:

(a) the total number of HOS flats currently available for free resale;

(b)

the total number of HOS flats that have been resold and the percentage of such flats out of the total number of HOS flats available for resale;

(c)

(d)

the number of transactions in the past year involving the further resale of HOS flats of ten years standing or above within two years of the resale of such flats, together with the percentage of such transactions out of the turnover volume in the overall secondary market of HOS flats;

the average increase in the price level of secondary HOS flats in the past

year;