TNAG-2171-FCO40-3108-Special-quota-of-work-permits-for-the-Dependent-Territories-1990 — Page 18

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allocation, almost all to work in the Chinese catering

industry. Of the remaining 50 places allocated to the other

Dependent Territories, almost all are taken up by St Helena.

4. In his letter of 15 December 1989, during the

preparations for the British Nationality (Hong Kong) Bill,

the then Home Secretary proposed that the entire Quota

should be dropped, on the grounds that it was anomalous and

inconsistent with the Government's commitment to restrict

primary immigration. In his reply of 21 December 1989,

Secretary of State suggested that the Quota should be retained for Dependent Territories other than Hong Kong.

The Secretary of State for Employment, however, argued in

his letter of 15 January in favour of the retention of the

Hong Kong part of the Quota. In the light of this, the Secretary of State wrote again (on 1 February) expressing

the hope that the scheme could be continued for 1990 in its

present form (ie including Hong Kong) and reviewed

thereafter.

F

G

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5.

The Home Secretary's Private Secretary then made it

clear on the Private Secretary net that the Home Secretary felt that he needed to be able to say, in the course of the

passage of the Bill through Parliament, that the Quota for Hong Kong would end after one year (ie at the end of 1990). The Private Secretary subsequently confirmed that the

Secretary of State could accept that the Hong Kong share of

the Quota should lapse after 1990. In his letter of

19 February the Home Secretary proposed that an announcement that there would be no further allocation for Hong Kong would be made later in 1990, after the passage of the Hong Kong Bill, but before the 1991 Quota would otherwise have

been announced. The Employment Secretary agreed (his

letter of 7 March.

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