TNAG-0874-FCO40-1084-Legislation-for-births--deaths-and-adoption-in-Hong-Kong-1979 — Page 1

MEMORANDUM FOR EXECUTIVE COUNCIL

REGISTRA TION OF PERSONS (A MENDMENT) BILL 1979

REGISTRATION OF PERSONS (AMENDMENT)

REGULATIONS 1979

BIRTHS AND DEATHS REGISTRA TION (A MENDMENT)

BILL 1979

A

B

In January 1976, the Secretary for Security established a Working Party on Registration of Persons. Its terms of reference together with a summary of the Working Party's findings are attached at Annex A.

2

After considering the Working Party Report on 30th November 1976, Honourable Members agreed that the Registration of Persons Office should be amalgamated with the Immigration Department (memorandum XCC(76)82, a copy of which is at Annex B). The amalgamation took place on 20th April 1977.

3

Since the amalgamation, Immigration Officers have been assigned to key posts in the Registration of Persons Office and steps have been taken to streamline and simplify registration procedures with the aim of improving the service to the public. In addition, the provision of immigration expertise has brought about an improvement in security and a higher rate of detection of forged documents.

4

The Working Party also made recommendations, both long and short term, to improve the reliability of the registration system. In the long term, computerisation will be required to remedy the defects and limitations of the present manual system of record keeping. In the short term, there are some necessary improvements which can and need to be made.

5

The purpose of this memorandum is to seek Honourable Members advice on the legislative amendments to implement the Working Party's recommendations to:

(a) improve the reliability of the registration system

(paragraph 5(i) of Annex A); and

(b) strengthen and clarify the role of the registration

system in Immigration control (paragraph 5(v) of Annex A).

CONFIDENTIAL

機密