TNAG-1849-FCO40-2624-House-of-Commons-Select-Committee-on-Foreign-Affairs-enquiry-1989 — Page 52

TRANSCRIPT J: SELECT COMMITTEE RE HONG KONG

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24 MAY 1989

MR. PETER TEMPLE-MORRIS (COFTD):

with the next breath we say that we are going to give them BOC anyway after 1997, I am wondering what on earth is the point of anyone applying for BNO when they are going to become BCG anyway. Why do they not hang on and see which

way the wind is blowing and is it all

as Mr. Canavan was suggesting?

a cosmetic exercise

KR. TIN RENTON:

Can I describe the complex series of steps! You do not have to apply to become a BIO.

run your BDTC right up until 1 July 1997.

You can

BNO

The category of British National Overseas was brought in in order to deal really with the bridge between 1997 and 1998 if you like because quite clearly,

as I understand it, for new the Chinese were not prepared, passports to be issued after the signing of the Joint Agreement that had the categorisation of British Dependent Territory Citizen in it, but then had a validity that ran

so British National Overseas was introduced in after 1997,

i

some measure as

an interim measure,

but

because it is not

transferable, it runs on throughout the lifetime of the individual and therefore it takes the current individual who is in Hong Kong through for bla lifetime with a passport in which he is classified as british National

Oversea6.