TNAG-1849-FCO40-2624-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 142

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to "the special circumstances of the applicant's case" is to the individual concerned and could not be interpreted (as has been suggested) as referring to the general situation prevailing in Hong Kong.

25. We have received 499 applications in this category and citizenship was granted in 8 cases. 4 of those were in Crown service and 4 had given their services unpaid. The views of the Governor are always taken into account in considering Crown service applications. The large number of refusals does not in any way detract from the quality of service of the applicants; it simply reflects the fact that the criteria described during the passage of the Bill effectively limit the grant of citizenship to those whose service has been both outstanding and of benefit to the UK.

In

But

26. Section 4(5) is drafted in such broad terms that it is impossible to calculate how many people could be eligible to apply for citizenship. 1987 the strength of the Hong Kong Civil Service was some 179,000. retired Crown servants could also apply, as could any past or present member of any body in Hong Kong, members of which have been appointed by the Crown. Nor is section 4(5) confined to Hong Kong. Anyone in Crown service in any Dependent Territory may apply and it would be difficult, on the basis of service, to single out Hong Kong applicants for special treatment.

Ex-servicemen in Hong Kong

arrangements have been made is

27. The one group for whom special

ex-servicemen living in Hong Kong who fought in the defence of Hong Kong. In April 1986, in response to representations from the Legislative Council the Home Secretary announced that they could be registered under this section if they were BDTCs (or other British national) and if their service had been under the Government of Hong Kong. (0.R. Written Answers 23 April 1986

col 147). The number who might be eligible was estimated at 60 and to date 51 applications have been approved. It is not possible under the 1981 Act to confer citizenship on servicemen whose service was not under the Government of Hong Kong, but the Home Secretary made it clear that he would give sympathetic consideration to an application for settlement in the UK from any of the 270 or 80 former servicemen in Hong Kong and their dependants who wished to come to the UK.

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