LY DAY MOTION NO: 251
HONG KONG (No 2)
Speaking Note
We have noted the views referred to in the motion.
My right
honourable Friend the Foreign Secretary addressed the subject
during his statement on 17 January on his visit to Hong Kong. The
House will have ample opportunity to debate the issues during the
passage of the legislation which he announced in his statement on
20 December.
Background Note (Not for use)
1. The Foreign Secretary's statement on 20 December explained the background to the decision to enact legislation to grant citizenship to a maximum of 50,000 key Hong Kong personnel (228,000 including their dependants) in both the public and private sectors, in order to anchor them in the territory. Work is in hand on the legislation itself and on defining the rules for the selection of candidates under the scheme (these would be set out in regulations to accompany the main bill). It is hoped that it will be possible to introduce this into the House before the Easter recess.
2.
The motion refers to the "strong connections between Hong Kong and the schools and universities in Northern Ireland". It is difficult to know what Mr Taylor means by this. The Chinese community in Northern Ireland is the largest and most influential ethnic minority group, but according to Hong Kong Government figures, in 1988/89 there were only 167 students from Hong Kong attending universities and colleges in Northern Ireland out of a total for the UK of over 6,400.
POPADI (2)
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