CONFIDENTIAL !
2.
(Mr Fifoot has advised that this correction needs to be
made.)
importance which we need to attach to such complaints. In considering the balance of advantage we shall also need to look with care at the position of children born outside Hong Kong prior to 1 July 1997 to dependants of principal beneficiaries
unless under the scheme. If the parents retain BDTC status these children could be born stateless. Similarly, some children born in Hong Kong after 1997 could also be affected, particularly those born to non-Chinese ethnic minority beneficiaries under the scheme. If it is decided that the balance lies in favour of removing BDTC status from those registered as British citizens under the scheme, we shall need to consider what, if anything, might be done to preserve British national status for these two categories.
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However, Not only
The second issue arises from our decision to exclude two particular occupational groups from the scheme. The removal of the "Writers and Creative Artists" group has the effect of disqualifying authors, composers, sculptors, etc. journalists and news editors are also thereby excluded. would many people consider that particularly political and financial journalists are likely to be vulnerable after 1997, but there is also the fact that the role of the press will be vital in selling the package to Hong Kong, and disenfranchising journalists and editors will, the Governor argues, guarantee a rough press reception. Reinstatement of the category as a whole would be presentationally difficult here because it would be hard to argue that composers and sculptors etc were "key" personnel. The alternative would be to reinstate journalists and news editors alone but this would have to be defensible on grounds other than to guarantee a good reception in Hong Kong. The arguments would be that these people are emigrating at a comparatively high rate and the ability to retain them was essential in order to maintain the freedom of the Hong Kong press.
This is entirely a political issue. My view on balance is that, in the interests of ensuring the best possible reception for our proposals in Hong Kong, we have to extend eligibility to journalists and news editors. If colleagues were to agree that
CONHDENDAL
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