TNAG-1840-FCO40-2615-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 62

SECURITY CLASSIFICATION

Top Secret

Secret

Confidential

Restricted

Unclassified

PRIVACY MARKING

In Confidence

DSR 11C (Revised 5/87)

air services agreements, separate from those of the UK;

the expansion of the Police Force to resume anti-illegal

immigration duties currently undertaken by the British

forces;

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. Taken 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.

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 to the Joint

Declaration, 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 covered some 150 hectares. This includes

substantial land grants for the seventh container

terminal and for the third university.

25. Under the terms of the Joint Declaration, premium