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Hong Kong Ethnic Minorities:
[ LORDS]
[LORD GLENARTHUR.] guarantees that all Hong Kong British Dependent Territories citizens who are living there permanently will have the right to continue to do so.
My noble friend Lord Geddes raised the question of blanket assurances. The Government cannot give blanket assurances that take no account of personal circumstances of course not. Cases such as this always have to be considered on an individual basis, and we must expect that the government of the day will take account of the particular circumstances at the time when the person applies.
I have listened very carefully to your Lordships' comments in voicing concern for the future in Hong Kong for those who are not ethnically Chinese. The Government recognise that concern, and in response to what has been said, I hope that it will allay that concern if I go further than the assurances so far given to the community by this Government by saying that we should consider it an obligation upon any future government to treat with very considerable and particular sympathy the case for admission to the United Kingdom of any individual British national who, against all our present expectations, came under pressure to leave Hong Kong. I hope that your' Lordships will recognise that, in reflecting the wishes of this House by making that further statement, the Government have provided a very clear assurance to members of the minority communities in Hong Kong.
The Government believe that the nationality provisions we propose, coupled with the guarantees of right of abode in Hong Kong and with the further assurances that I have just given, properly and fully meet the needs of all British Dependent Territories citizens of Hong Kong, whatever their ethnic origin. We are fully satisfied that they provide a secure basis from which the people of Hong Kong can look confidently to the future. The proposals are fair, just and fitting.
In reaching this stage, the Government have moved a long way in meeting the wishes of Hong Kong, and I believe that the proposals now deserve your Lordships' approval. As the noble Lord, Lord MacLehose said, with his enormous experience of Hong Kong, it is important that we now end the uncertainty in Hong Kong and move forward without further delay to put in place the necessary nationality arrangements.
I respect the sincerity of the views held and expressed so clearly in this debate. I hope therefore that, on reflection and in the light of this full debate and of my response to it, the noble Lord, Lord Cledwyn, will not feel it necessary to press his Motion and that I shall shortly be able to commend the order to your Lordships.
2.48 p.m.
Lord Cledwyn of Penrhos: My Lords, the splendid speech of my noble friend Lord Mishcon makes it unnecessary for me to detain the House for very much longer. We have had a most constructive and valuable debate, and I am most grateful to all noble Lords who have taken part. Most noble Lords who have spoken know Hong Kong intimately, and their views have certainly made an impression.
Citizenship
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I have just listened to the speech of the noble Lord, Lord Glenarthur. His winding-up speech was, if anything, better than his opening speech. He gave the House information that was not previously available, and also some important statistics. The Minister has gone substantially further than any Minister has done on any previous occasion, including his right honourable friend in another place.
His words, which I have just taken down, seem to be worthy of the most careful consideration. I wish that I had more time to consider them, but I must make a judgment at very short notice. If I have his words accurately, they were, "We would consider it an obligation". I noted particularly the word "obligation". It is the first time that any government Minister has, in this context, used the word "obligation". He said, "We would consider it an obligation upon any future government"-and these are the words "to treat with very considerable and particular sympathy" the case for admission to the United Kingdom of any individual British national who, against all present expectations, is under pressure to leave Hong Kong.
I personally regard those as very important words, added to the words used by the Minister's right honourable friend in the Written Answer to the Question in another place, which has already been referred to in the debate. I believe that that is a strong undertaking. I must, of course, affirm that my party, in government, would honour that obligaton, but I must also say to the House that from my conversations with my right honourable friends in another place I have the authority to say that we would consider going further and taking other steps as well. It is right that I should say that.
Obviously the House, the Government and all the parties represented here will be looking at the matter in the light of the basic law when that is published in 1988. In my view that will be a crucial day for Hong Kong and for all of us who are interested in Hong Kong. In the meantime, I must say that I take very seriously this strong commitment from the noble Lord. I regard the word "obligation" used by the Minister as a most crucial word in the context of what we are now discussing. In those circumstances, I beg leave to withdraw my Motion.
Motion, by leave, withdrawn.
Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986
2.52 p.m.
Lord Glenarthur: My Lords, I beg to move that the draft Hong Kong (British Nationality) Order 1986 laid before the House on 7th May be agreed to.
Moved. That the draft order laid before the House on 7th May be approved. [22nd Report from the Joins Committee.Lord Glenarthur.)
On Question, Motion agreed to.
Wages Bill
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