TNAG-2119-FCO40-3025-Future-of-Hong-Kong-general-1990 — Page 288

2036

Mr Norman Tebbit Mr Nicholas Budgen

Mr Tony Marlow Mr Tim Janman

Notices of Amendments: 6th June 1990

British Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill continued

Mr Bowen Wells

21

Page 4 [Schedule 1], leave out lines 37 to 43 and insert comprise four sections-

-the General Allocation Section (GAS);

-the Key Entrepreneurs Section (KES);

-the Disciplined Service Section (DSS) und

the Sensitive Service Section (SSS)

each of which is described below. In selecting people to be recommended for citizenship within these sections, the Governor would have the assistance of a Steering Group (the advisory committtee provided for in the Bill) which would be chaired by the Chief Secretary of the Hong Kong Government. would include independent representatives of the community and which would work closely with the Independent Commission Against Corruption, the Commissioner of which would be a member of the Group.

Dristribution of Places

(a) It is currently envisaged that selection of citizenship recipients would operate in two tranches. The majority of places would be distributed in the first tranche. as quickly as administrative processes in Hong Kong permitted. so that early confidence could be given to key personnel who might otherwise leave. Except in the case of the Key Entrepreneurs Section a second tranche (about 13 per cent. of the overall total) would be reserved for allocation nearer to 1997. to cater for those who would by then have moved into key positions. and to give any who had failed to secure a place in the first round a second chance. The figures for the second tranche might be adjusted to take account of any shortfall in the first. People would be able to submit only one application in each tranche. It is expected that the majority of the places would be given to people in the private sector.

(b) The distribution by section could be expected to be as follows:

General Allocation

Key Entrepreneurs

Disciplined service

Sensitive Service

Total:

Eligibility

36.200

500

7.000

6.300

50.000

(c) Those eligible to apply for citizenship under the scheme would be Hong Kong British Dependent Territories citizens (BDTCs), British Nationals (overseas) (BN(Os), British Overseas citizens. British protected persons, and British subjects (BOCs, BPPs and BSs) who were settled in Hong Kong tie ordinarily resident without limitation on their stay); and others settled there (eg holders of Hong Kong certificates of identity) who had applied for BDTC status before the date on which the Bill was passed. (or for the second tranche. by a later date to be announced nearer the time). People who already held the nationality of another country would be eligible to apply but would have 200 points deducted from their score under the points system-see below. (This would not apply in the case of Chinese nationality.)

Assessing applications: the Points System