A
Simon Murray Esq
Chairman
Honour Hong Kong
5-11 Theobalds Road
London WC1X 8SH
Thank you for your letter of 11 December enclosing a copy of a report commissioned by Honour Hong Kong about the effects of emigration on Hong Kong. We read this study with great interest.
We share the concern felt by many people in Hong Kong about the emigration of talented people from the territory and about the impact of this on Hong Kong's economy and administration. I know that you are aware of the measures we have decided to take to tackle this problem, and that you discussed the matter with the Foreign Secretary in Hong Kong.
Our aim is to give the key people in the public and private sectors in the territory the assurance needed to persuade them to remain in Hong Kong. This will take the form of full British citizenship and will be awarded without the beneficiary ever having to leave the territory. In setting a ceiling on the scheme 50,000 heads of household or about 225,000 people in all we have had to balance our desire to be as effective as possible in restoring confidence in Hong Kong against our ability to accept the individuals concerned for settlement in this country, should that ever be necessary.
In devising the scheme we have taken account of the representations from companies in Hong Kong and this country about the need to retain their key managers and commercial and technical personnel if they are to remain competitive and profitable. Our scheme provides for people in these categories. In addition, we are introducing a further measure the approved secondments scheme described in the statement designed specifically to help companies
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