TNAG-1385-FCO40-1833-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-citizenship-1985 — Page 102

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2.

DURING THE PASSAGE OF THE HONG KONG BILL HER MAJESTY'S

GOVERNMENT GAVE TWO UNDERTAKINGS CONCERNING THE PARLIAMENTARY

HANDLING OF THE PROPOSED ORDER. THE FIRST WAS THAT IT WOULD BE

MADE WITHIN A YEAR OF THE PASSING OF THE BILL, SUBJECT ONLY TO

PARLIAMENT'S OWN AGREEMENT OPEN SQUARE BRACKETS FOOTNOTE 1: OFFICIAL REPORT: VOLUME 71, NUMBER 43, COLUMN 735: VOLUME 460,

NUMBER 46, COLUMN 484 CLOSE SQUARE BRACKETS. THE SECOND WAS THAT

IN VIEW OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL SIGNIFICANCE OF THE ORDER IT SHOULD

BE SUBJECT TO MORE EXTENDED PARLIAMENTRY SCRUTINY THAN THE USUAL

AFFIRMATIVE RESOLUTION PROCEDURE ALLOWS OPEN SQUARE BRACKETS FOOTNOTE 2: OFFICIAL REPORT: VOLUME 72, NUMBER 56, COLUMN 1069:

VOLUME 460, NUMBER 46, COLUMN 503 CLOSE SQUARE BRACKETS. ORDERS

MADE UNDER THE AFFIRMATIVE RESOLUTION PROCEDURE REQUIRE

PARLIAMENT'S POSITIVE APPROVAL, USUALLY FOLLOWING A DEBATE OF A ONE AND A HALF HOURS, AND CANNOT BE AMENDED, BUT MERELY ACCEPTED OR REJECTED AS A WHOLE. IT IS HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT'S

INTENTION TO PROVIDE TIME FOR DEBATES IN BOTH HOUSES ON THIS

WHITE PAPER AND THE ANNEXED DRAFT ORDER BEFORE THE DRAFT ORDER IS

RE-PRESENTED FOR APPROVAL BY EACH HOUSE OF PARLIAMENT UNDER THE

AFFIRMATIVE RESOLUTION PROCEDURE. HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT WILL

TAKE CAREFUL NOTE OF POINTS RAISED IN THOSE DEBATES AND WILL

CONSIDER IF THESE CALL FOR ANY CHANGES TO BE MADE IN THE TERMS OF

THE DRAFT ORDER (WHICH MUST OF COURSE BE CONSISTENT WITH THE

JOINT DECLARATION AND THE HONG KONG ACT) BEFORE IT IS

RE-PRESENTED FOR APPROVAL.

3.

HER MAJESTY'S GOVERNMENT HOPE THAT THE WIDEST POSSIBLE

CONSIDERATION SHOULD NOW BE GIVEN TO THE PROPOSALS IN THE DRAFT

ORDER BOTH IN HONG KONG AND IN THE UNITED KINGDOM. ACCORDINGLY

THEY HAVE ARRANGED FOR THIS WHITE PAPER TO BE PUBLISHED

SIMULTANEOUSLY IN OONG KONG. THEY INTEND TO ALLOW AMPLE TIME FOR

THE PUBLIC TO MAKE KNOWN THEIR VIEWS BEFORE INITIATING THE FIRST

DEBATES IN BOTH HOUSES. TO ASSIST THE PROCESS OF PUBLIC

CONSIDERATION PARAGRAPHS 4 TO 7 OUTLINE THE BACKGROUND TO THE

PROVISIONS WHICH THE DRAFT ORDER WILL PUT INTO EFFECT, AND

PARAGRAPHS 8 TO 33 PROVIDE A COMMENTARY ON THE DRAFT ORDER

ITSELF.

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