From The Minister of State
Foreign and Commonwealth Office
M..
Jean,
London SW1A 2AH
26 February 1985
مواقع
M HKK 040/2
4 MAR 1985
On reading the Hansard report of our debate on the Second Reading of the Hong Kong Bill I note that I did not deal directly with some of your questions in my winding up speech. I should like to do so now.
The timing of the issue of BN(O) passports is a matter which the Government are looking into urgently but on which we have made no decision as yet. To be consistent with the terms of the UK Memorandum BN(0) status must be acquired by 30 June 1997, except in respect of children born in the first half of 1997. That status will be acquired when an eligible person applies for the first time for a BN(0) passport. BDTC status will also remain up to 30 June 1997, and there will be a period during which an individual may hold both BDTC and BN(O) status. BN(0) passport holders will be able to renew their passports after 1997 in the usual way.
On your point on charities in Hong Kong we envisage that they should be able to continue to raise and spend money as at the moment, and that the funding of colleges in Hong Kong should be able to continue after 1997 substantially unchanged. Section X of Annex I of the agreement provides that the educational system previously practised in Hong Kong will be maintained after 1997. The Special Administrative Region Goverment will on its own decide policies regarding the educational system and its administration and the allocation of funds. Institutions of all kinds, including those run by religious and community organisations may retain their autonomy. Section XIII of the same Annex provides that schools, hospitals and welfare institutions run by religious organisations may be continued.
On the Gurkhas I can only say that the Government has no plans to run down or disband the Brigade of Gurkhas.
The Baroness Vickers
House of Lords
London
SW1A OPW
/Finally,
148)
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