DRAFT LETTER
ADDRESSEE'S REFERENCE
FILE NUMBER
TO
ENCLOSURES
COPIES TO BE SENT TO
Mr Charles Solomon
1 Willow Croft
Upper Poppleton
York
YD2 6EE
(FULL POSTAL ADDRESS)
(FULL ADDRESSES, IF NECESSARY)
A F Bedford
LETTER DRAFTED FOR SIGNATURE BY
(NAME OF SIGNATORY)
Thank you for your letter of 22 January to the Minister of State
about Hong Kong. I have been asked to reply.
The people to whom you refer form part of the population of 34 million
British Dependent Territories citizens in Hong Kong who will lose
that status in 1997, when sovreignty over Hong Kong is transferred
to China, but who will be entitled to acquire the new status of
British National (Overseas). The 10,000 or so non-ethnic Chinese,
unlike the great majority of British Dependent Territories citizens
in Hong Kong, will not be regarded by the Chinese as their nationals.
They have therefore asked to be granted British citizenship rather
than British National (Overseas) status if they would otherwise become
stateless in 1997.
The ethnic minorities concern over their position in 1997 was echoed
in recent debates in both Houses of Parliament. The Government has
undertaken to give their request careful consideration before deciding
on the final form in which to lay before Parliament the draft Order
in Council to implement the relevant nationality provisions.
S 536
H.O. EST. 112
It is, as your know, the Government's clear policy that, at a time
of high unemployment in economic recession, primary immigration to
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