TNAG-1381-FCO40-1829-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 212

CONFIDENTIAL

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OPEN TO THE PRESS AND THE PUBLIC, AND IS A MATTER OF

PUBLIC RECORD.

II) OUR PRESENT INTENTION IS THAT ALL THE NATIONALITY

PROVISIONS WILL BE COVERED UNDER A SINGLE ORDER, WHICH

WOULD BE ASSESSED AND DEBATED AS A SINGLE PACKAGE.

III) WE CANNOT CONCEIVE THAT PROVISIONS OF THIS IMPORTANCE

WOULD NOT BE A MATTER FOR FULL DEBATE, ALMOST

CERTAINLY ON THE FLOOR OF THE HOUSE. EVEN IF THERE

WAS NO DISAGREEMENT BETWEEN PARTIES, THE LEVEL OF

PARLIAMENTARY AND PUBLIC INTEREST WOULD NO DOUBT

REQUIRE THIS.

3. WHERE THE TIMETABLE FOR THE BILL IS CONCERNED, EXCO MAY FIND

IT HELPFUL TO HAVE AN ACCOUNT OF THE SEQUENCE OF STEPS, WHICH IS

AS FOLLOWS:

HOUSE OF COMMONS

A) FIRST READING (INTRODUCTION: A FORMALITY WITHOUT DEBATE)

B) SECOND READING (THE OCCASION FOR FULL DEBATE OF THE

BILL'S GENERAL PRINCIPLES).

THE DATE FOR THE SECOND READING IS SETTLED BY THE OFFICES OF

THE CHIEF WHIP AND THE LEADER OF THE HOUSE, HAVING REGARD TO

GOVERNMENT BUSINESS ON THE ONE HAND AND THE NEED TO GIVE

MEMBERS TIME TO STUDY THE BILL ON THE OTHER. THE CONVENTION

IS FOR TWO WEEKENDS TO BE ALLOWED BETWEEN FIRST AND SECOND

READINGS.

C) COMMITTEE STAGE (LINE-BY-LINE SCRUTINY OF THE BILL).

MOST GOVERNMENT BILLS ARE COMMITTED AFTER SECOND READING TO

A STANDING COMMITTEE. ALTERNATIVELY THE BILL CAN BE TAKEN

BY A COMMITTEE OF THE FULL HOUSE IF SPEED IS ESSENTIAL

AND/OR IF THE BILL IS OF MAJOR CONSTITUTIONAL IMPORTANCE.

WE BELIEVE THAT THIS LATTER COURSE IS LIKELY TO BE FOLLOWED

IN THE CASE OF THE HONG KONG BILL.

D) REPORT STAGE (CONSIDERATION OF ANY AMENDMENTS INTRODUCED

AT THE COMMITTEE STAGE).

IT IS DESIRABLE FOR THERE TO BE TWO WEEKENDS BETWEEN THE

COMMITTEE STAGE AND THE REPORT STAGE. IF THE BILL IS PASSED

UNAMENDED BY A COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE HOUSE, THERE IS NO

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CONFIDENTIAL