TNAG-1567-FCO40-2132-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 132

MAY.12 '86 11:58 GMT HO 2 LUNAR HOUSE

HONG KONG NATIONALITY ORDER IN COUNCIL

DRAFT OPENING SPEECH (COMMONS)

P.03

1. The draft Nationality Order implements arrangements which have been fully considered and debated over many months.

2.

Government)

The Order represents the culmination of a long period of careful work. It stems from the agreement) with the Chinese which, with this House's wholehearted

approval, the Prime Minister signed in December 1984. It continued with the

Hong Kong Act 1985 which again this House fully debated and approved. And it led from there to our debate in January when there was a full opportunity to consider the detailed arrangements which are now incorporated in the draft Order. Equally full and detailed discussions have been held in Hong Kong.

3. It is right that the matter should have been dealt with in this careful way.

Fair and comprehensive nationality arrangements are vital to the future of people in Hong Kong and for the successful implementation of the agreement with the

Chinese.

We need to make the Order now so as to have enough time to make the necessary

arrangements for the BN(0) passport to be issued from 1 July 1987 with the normal

10 year validity period.

**

5.

I shall not describe in detail the provisions of the Order. It is in the

form which the House considered in January, apart from one or two minor drafting

and technical amendments. It establishes those who, because of their connection

with Hong Kong, will cease to be British Dependent Territories citizens in 1997;

and it gives them the right to acquire British National (Overseas) status and

the passport that goes with it. The Order makes provisions also to guard against

statelessness,

are

consistent with)

6. Our proposals in the draft Order fully [meet] bur obligations in the Joint Declaration and properly exercise our powers under the Hong Kong Act. I think

that this has been generally accepted in earlier debates in the House as it has been in Hong Kong. But, following their debate last December, the Hong Kong Legislative and Executive Councils made three points which have attracted support

in this House and in anothe place. They were first that there should be an

endorsement in British National (Overseas) pasaports to show that the holder did not require a visa or entry certificate to visit the United Kingdom. that former servicemen in Hong Kong who fought in its interests during the second

Second,

1.