Foreign and Commonwealth Office
London SW1A 2AH
From The Minister of State
Richard Luce MP
25 February 1985
HKK 040/2
Dean Michael
1
∞
In the debate on the Hong Kong Bill during the committee stage on 6 February I promised to study your comments carefully and let you have a considered reply. I apologise for the delay in doing so.
You said in the debate that the purpose of your amendment was to facilitate entry into the UK of Hong Kong Chinese who regularly visit this country by furnishing them with an unlimited access stamp.
As I said in my reply to the debate, there is already a system whereby Hong Kong BDTCs who are frequent bona fide travellers may obtain entry certificates that are valid for two years and allow multiple entry to the UK. I believe this practice already substantially meets your aims expressed in the debate.
You also asked me whether the entry certificate could be shown in a travel document and carried over after 1997. There is a long way to go before 1997, and I can make no absolute commitment. But, at the moment, I can see no reason why BN(O)s should not have similar stamps in their passports after 1997.
More generally I agree with you that it will be of great importance to ensure international recognition of BN(O) passports. The government will be doing all it can to ensure the same access to other countries as that enjoyed at present by BDTC passport holders.
Michael Marshall Esq MP
House of Commons
LONDON.
SW1A OAA
Reil
146
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