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which has refused to acknowledge the grant of full British passports tor
Hong Kong Chinese citizens and has threatened "corresponding measures".
Have you any idea what those corresponding measures could be?
(Mr Maude) No.
65.
Is there any truth
It is just a threat without any substance?
in the argument that the British scheme is at odds with the memorandum in
the Joint Declaration, mentioning "an appropriate status which, without
conferring the right of abode in the UK, ... etc.? Is it a fact that
this contravenes that Declaration?
66.
(Mr Maude) No, it certainly does not. It is clearly in line with it.
When we were in Hong Kong we were very concerned about the
position of ethnic minorities who may not have Chinese citizenship after
1997, and in the debate on the Bill Mr Peter Lloyd said that "if pressure
is put upon them we would look at any claim to right of settlement
here". Have you any idea how many people this assurance covers and how
many of the ethnic minorities might be included in the 50,000 package?
(Mr Maude) I certainly cannot predict the latter. It depends very
much on how they fare under the detailed points system which the scheme
provides. So far as how many people are included in the ethnic minority
category is concerned, as I understand it, the last survey was in 1986,
which indicated that there were something in the region of 11,500 in total.
That includes about 4,500 Indians, a bit over 2,000 Pakistanis, a bit over
2,000 Portuguese and 2,500 or so others.
67.
Is it a fact that they would not have any citizenship?
(Mr Maude) That does not necessarily indicate that all of those have
no other nationality.
68.
That is what I was going to press you on. Does it mean they
are stateless or they might be Indian citizens, Pakistani citizens or
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