TNAG-1567-FCO40-2132-Future-of-Hong-Kong-nationality-and-passports-Hong-Kong-(Br-1986 — Page 27

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Hong Kong

13 MAY 1986

I invite the House to remember that, while saying how valueless the ranchin was, the hon. Member for ersea made a commitment that was so woolly as to be almost meaningless. All that he said was that if, unfortunately, a Labour Government returned to office, they would scrap the British Nationality Act 1981 and the Immigration Act 1971, and they would take account of the requests made by all sorts of people. What sort of an undertaking is that? What sort of a sign is it of the hon. Gentleman's true reaction to the order? What sign does it give us of the official Opposition's attitude to the order? It gives us no sign at all, and the hon. Gentleman might as well not have stood at the Dispatch Box. We are no wiser than we were before the debate as to where the Opposition stand on this matter.

The arguments of the right hon. Member for South Down (Mr. Powell) are always interesting. He said that we were extending British nationality to 3-25 million people. He did not mention that we are giving a different form of British nationality to 3.25 million people who already have British nationality, which is different from the impression which he may, unwittingly, have given during his speech.

My hon. Friend the Member for Altrincham and Sale said that the non-ethnic Chinese wish to continue living in Hong Kong. We cannot give them the right to do so by conferring upon them British citizenship, but we have won them the right to do so by the agreement. That agreement is binding in international law, and it will be written into a basic law governing the Hong Kong special administrative region. British citizenship cannot be transmitted further than to the second generation born abroad, so British citizenship could not give to the non- ethnic Chinese a nationality that could be transmitted to their descendants any further than the British overseas citizenship which, under the order, can be transmitted to their children and grandchildren born after 1997.

That is an answer to the point made by my hon. Friend the Member for Gillingham (Mr. Couchman). We could no more guarantee British citizenship to the children and grandchildren of those people beyond the second generation born abroad by granting them British citizenship than we could by granting them British overseas citizenship.

We must remember our commitment as a Government to a firm immigration policy, but I repeat that if any non- ethnic Chinese BDTCs were at any time to come under pressure to leave Hong Kong, we would expect the Government of the day to consider sympathetically their admission to the United Kingdom on a case-by-case basis. That has been described as a "strong moral commitment". I agree with that description.

It being one and a half hours after the commencement of proceedings on the motion, MR. DEPUTY SPEAKER put the Question, pursuant to Standing Order No. 3 (Exempted Business).

The House divided: Ayes 295, Noes 119.

Division No. 177]

Aitken, Jonathan

Alexander, Richard

Alison, Rt Hon Michael

Amess, David

Ancram, Michael

Arnold, Tom

Ashby, David

Atkins, Rt Hon Sir H.

AYES

[Time 12 pm

Atkinson, David (B'm'th E) Baker, Rt Hon K. (Mole Vall’y) Baker, Nicholas (Dorset N) Baldry, Tony

Batiste, Spencer

Beaumont-Dark, Anthony Bellingham, Henry

Bendall, Vivian

Benyon, William

Best, Keith

Bevan, David Gilroy Biffen, Rt Hon John Biggs-Davison, Sir John Blackburn, John

Hong Kong

Blaker, Rt Hon Sir Peter Bottomley, Peter Bottomley, Mrs Virginia Bowden, A. (Brighton K'to'n) Bowden, Gerald (Dulwich) Boyson, Dr Rhodes Brandon-Bravo, Martin Bright, Graham Brinton, Tim

Brittan, Rt Hon Leon Brooke, Hon Peter Brown, M. (Brigg & Cl'thpes) Browne, John Bruinvels, Peter Bryan, Sir Paul Buchanan-Smith, Rt Hon A. Buck, Sir Antony Budgen, Nick Bulmer, Esmond Burt, Alistair Butcher, John

Butler, Rt Hon Sir Adam Butterfill, John

Carlisle, John (Luton N) Carlisle, Kenneth (Lincoln) Carlisle, Rt Hon M. (W'ton S) Cash, William

Chalker, Mrs Lynda Channon, Rt Hon Paul Chapman, Sydney Chope, Christopher Churchill, W. S.

Clark, Dr Michael (Rochford) Clark, Sir W. (Croydon S) Clarke, Rt Hon K. (Rushcliffe) Clegg, Sir Walter Cockeram, Eric Colvin, Michael Conway, Derek Coombs, Simon Cope, John

Couchman, James Cranborne, Viscount Crouch, David Currie, Mrs Edwina Dickens, Geoffrey Dicks, Terry Dorrell, Stephen Douglas-Hamilton, Lord J. Dover, Den

du Cann, Rt Hon Sir Edward Durant, Tony

Dykes, Hugh

Gow, lan

Gower, Sir Raymond Greenway, Harry

Gregory, Conal

676

Griffiths, Peter (Portsm'th N) Ground, Patrick

Hamilton, Hon A. (Epsom)

Hamilton, Neil (Tatton) Hampson, Dr Keith Hanley, Jeremy Hannam, John

Harris, David

Harvey, Robert

Hawkins, Sir Paul (N'folk SW) Hawksley, Warren Hayes, J.

Hayhoe, Rt Hon Barney Hayward, Robert Heathcoat-Amory, David Henderson, Barry Hickmet, Richard Hind, Kenneth Hirst, Michael

Hogg, Hon Douglas (Gr'th'm) Holland, Sir Philip (Gedling) Holt, Richard

Hordern, Sir Peter

Howarth, Alan (Stratf'd-on-A) Howarth, Gerald (Cannock) Howe, Rt Hon Sir Geoffrey Howell, Ralph (Norfolk, N) Hubbard-Miles, Peter

Hunt, John (Ravensbourne) Hunter, Andrew

Hurd, Rt Hon Douglas Jackson, Robert

Johnson Smith, Sir Geoffrey Jones, Gwilym (Cardiff N) Jones, Robert (Herts W) Jopling, Rt Hon Michael Kershaw, Sir Anthony Key, Robert

King, Roger (B'ham N'field) Knight, Greg (Derby N)

Knight, Dame Jill (Edgbaston)

Knowles, Michael

Knox, David

Lamont, Norman Lang, lan

Latham, Michael Lawler, Geoffrey Lawrence, Ivan

Lee, John (Pendle)

Leigh, Edward (Gainsbor’gh) Lennox-Boyd, Hon Mark Lester, Jim

Lewis, Sir Kenneth (Stamf'd) Lightbown, David

Lilley, Peter

Edwards, Rt Hon N. (P'broke) Lloyd, Peter (Fareham)

Eggar, Tim Evennett, David Eyre, Sir Reginald Favell, Anthony Fenner, Mrs Peggy Finsberg, Sir Geoffrey Forman, Nigel

Forsyth, Michael (Stirling) Forth, Eric

Fowler, Rt Hon Norman Fraser, Peter (Angus East) Freeman, Roger Fry, Peter

Gale, Roger

Galley, Roy

Gardiner, George (Reigate) Garel-Jones, Tristan Gilmour, Rt Hon Sir lan Glyn, Dr Alan Goodlad, Alastair

Lord, Michael

Luce, Rt Hon Richard Lyell, Nicholas McLaughlin Patrick McCrindle, Robert McCurley, Mrs Anna Macfarlane, Neil

MacGregor, Rt Hon John

MacKay, Andrew (Berkshire) MacKay, John (Argyll & Bute)

Madel, David

Major, John

Malins, Humfrey

Malone, Gerald Maples, John

Marland, Paul

Marshall, Michael (Arundel)

Mates, Michael

Maude, Hon Francis

Mawhinney, Dr Brian

353