01 633 0920
24 MAY '89 19:43
FROM COI TECH RADIO
AGE.006
TRAISCRIPT B: SELECT COMMITTEE RE HONG KONG
24 MAY 1989
-6-
MR. TIX RENTON (COFTD):
The arrangements for 1997 provide that if they wish
and of course, it would be wrong for us to foist this
that BDTCs may acquire
upon them if they do not want it
the successor status of BNO
-
British National Overseas.
If by their own choice they do not acquire BMO status,
they will not become stateless.
Obviously, a great many
will become Chinese, but any who would otherwise become
stateless will become British Overseas Citizens, a status
that is held by some two million people round the world
who have a historical link with the UK, who have access to
British consulate facilities when in third countries, but
who do not belong directly either to the United Kingdom or
to a Dependent Territory.
Kr.
Chairman, I make those initial remarks by your
kind permission merely with an aim simply of putting the
BNA, which is such an important Act, in the historical
context of the development of immigration controls in this
country since the early 60s.
CHAIRMAN:
Thank you very much indeed for those opening remarks
on the British Nationality Act and for indeed reminding us
of our exchanges which we had as a Committee in Hong Kong
about the suggestion which we may come back to later but
on which we had considerable doubts ourselves that somehow
the BNA was aimed specifically at the people of Hong Kong.
No comments yet.
Private notes are available after approval.