TNAG-1840-FCO40-2615-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 130

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret

Secret

Confidential

Restricted

Unclassified

DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)

Taken

internal security duties; and a wide variety of legal

matters, including the localisation in Hong Kong of UK

legislation which applies to Hong Kong. These agreements

are the fruit of detailed and complex discussions.

together, they represent an impressive achievement,

reflecting the determination of the two Governments to

implement the provisions of the Joint Declaration fully

and effectively. But there is still much to be done.

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence

24. A second body set up under the Joint Declaration is

the Sino-British Land Commission, whose terms of

reference are specified in Annex III, which deals with

land leases. The Commission has agreed that leases in

the New Territories referred to in that Annex should be

extended to 2047. The New Territories Leases (Extension)

Ordinance gives effect to this agreement. The Commission

is also charged with deciding whether the annual limit of

50 hectares on land disposal specified in the Joint

Declaration should be exceeded. In practice the

Commission has exercised considerable flexibility and has

agreed each year so far that the limit should be

exceeded. The programme agreed for 1988/89 was 156.72

This includes substantial allocations of land

hectares.

for the seventh container terminal and for the third

university.

25.

Under the terms of the Joint Declaration, premium

income from land transactions is shared equally between

the Hong Kong Government and the future SAR Government.

(The Chinese side of the Land Commission manage their